Crime in Reading
Recorded crime in Reading is 1.6 times the Reading council average and 1.7 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 7%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Reading: about 47,075 residents in 37 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 1/10High crime
- Living
- 9.1/10Excellent
- 5-year change
- −7%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.6×the Reading council average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Reading.
Crime over 5 years
Down 7% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Reading, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.6× the Reading council average (1.7× the England and Wales average). 149 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 57% of the harm here
- Burglary: 13% of the harm here
- Robbery: 10% of the harm here
Anti-social behaviour: 19 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Reading (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Reading council area, not only the town of Reading. Source: Home Office, police recorded crime by community safety partnership.
| Type | Crimes in 2025/26 | Per 1,000 residents | Change on 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cars stolen | 309 | 1.7 | About the same |
| Cars broken into | 535 | 2.9 | Down 4% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 838 | 4.6 | Down 7% |
| Burglary of homes | 265 | 1.4 | Up 16% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 1 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in RG1
In RG1, the postcode district at the centre of Reading, 11% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%).
- Charged or summonsed
- Caution or other action
- Suspect found, not prosecuted
- No suspect identified
- Still open
Show as a table
| Type | Crimes | Charged or summonsed | Caution or other action | Suspect found, not prosecuted | No suspect identified | Still open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 2,889 | 7% | 6% | 58% | 22% | 7% |
| Shoplifting | 1,085 | 35% | 3% | 17% | 42% | 3% |
| Other theft | 745 | 2% | 2% | 18% | 75% | 3% |
| Public order | 737 | 9% | 3% | 43% | 42% | 4% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 520 | 5% | 6% | 27% | 60% | 4% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 429 | 3% | 0% | 14% | 80% | 3% |
| Burglary | 317 | 10% | 1% | 21% | 58% | 9% |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 304 | 0% | 1% | 13% | 84% | 3% |
| Bicycle theft | 293 | 2% | 0% | 5% | 93% | 0% |
| Drugs | 207 | 14% | 55% | 14% | 14% | 4% |
| Robbery | 158 | 17% | 1% | 37% | 44% | 2% |
| Other crime | 110 | 34% | 8% | 36% | 14% | 8% |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 58 | 40% | 19% | 28% | 9% | 5% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 5% of these crimes are still open, so the final figures may be a little higher.
Crime by type
Recorded crimes per 1,000 residents per year, most serious first, not counting anti-social behaviour.
| Type | Per 1,000 a year |
|---|---|
| Robbery | 2.5 |
| Burglary | 7.1 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 50.7 |
| Drugs | 5.5 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 1.5 |
| Other crime | 2.1 |
| Other theft | 16.2 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 5.5 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 8.9 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 10.8 |
| Public order | 13.5 |
| Bicycle theft | 8.1 |
| Shoplifting | 16.8 |
Postcode districts in Reading
Nearby towns
Council: Reading
Questions about crime in Reading
- Is Reading a safe place to live?
- Reading scores 1 out of 10 for safety (high crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.6 times the Reading council average.
- Is crime going up or down in Reading?
- Down 7% over 5 years, from 8,104 recorded crimes a year to 7,508.
- What is the most common crime in Reading?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 51 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Reading compare with Reading council?
- Crime severity in Reading is 1.6 times the Reading council average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Reading?
- In RG1, the postcode district at the centre of Reading, 11% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 44% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Reading?
- Of 317 burglaries reported in RG1, the postcode district at the centre of Reading between September 2024 and August 2025, 10% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 58% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Reading?
- In the Reading council area, the police recorded 309 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 1.7 per 1,000 residents, about the same as the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Reading?
- 838 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in the Reading council area, 4.6 per 1,000 residents, about the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Reading last year?
- 1 homicide (murder or manslaughter) was recorded in 2025/26, in the Reading council area, against 3 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.