Crime in Church, Reading: statistics, rates and trends
944 crimes were recorded in Church, Reading in the 12 months to August 2026, 91.1 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 36% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Church, Reading at a glance
- Crime trends in Church, Reading
- Types of crime in Church, Reading
- Church, Reading compared with nearby neighbourhoods
- Streets with the most crime in Church, Reading
- What happened after crimes were reported in Church, Reading
- Demographics of Church, Reading
- Questions about crime in Church, Reading
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (441), public order (69) and anti-social behaviour (68) made up 61% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 1,464th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Church, Reading | Reading | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 944 | 20,492 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 91.1 | 112.0 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -36% | +5% | -1% |
| Population | 10,362 | 182,907 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Church, Reading of any year here (944 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 32%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 944 | 91.1 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,464 | 141.3 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,334 | 128.7 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,820 | 175.6 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,835 | 177.1 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,553 | 149.9 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,514 | 146.1 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,395 | 134.6 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,388 | 134.0 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 74 |
| July 2026 | 74 |
| June 2026 | 100 |
| May 2026 | 93 |
| April 2026 | 87 |
| March 2026 | 77 |
| February 2026 | 60 |
| January 2026 | 49 |
| December 2025 | 72 |
| November 2025 | 83 |
| October 2025 | 78 |
| September 2025 | 97 |
Compared with England and Wales, Church, Reading recorded notably more drugs (27% above the national rate), and notably less anti-social behaviour (57% below) and shoplifting (25% below). On the year before, drugs rose from 31 to 43 and burglary rose from 30 to 35, while shoplifting fell from 460 to 66 and vehicle crime fell from 62 to 39.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 441 | 42.6 | 34.2 | -7% |
| Public order | 69 | 6.7 | 6.7 | -17% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 68 | 6.6 | 15.4 | -16% |
| Shoplifting | 66 | 6.4 | 8.5 | -86% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 65 | 6.3 | 6.7 | -27% |
| Other theft | 60 | 5.8 | 6.4 | -21% |
| Drugs | 43 | 4.1 | 3.3 | +39% |
| Vehicle crime | 39 | 3.8 | 5.0 | -37% |
| Burglary | 35 | 3.4 | 3.6 | +17% |
| Other crime | 21 | 2.0 | 2.1 | -16% |
| Robbery | 14 | 1.4 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 11 | 1.1 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 8 | 0.8 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 4 | 0.4 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
6 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Church, Reading; the highest is Abbey, Reading (429.2 per 1,000) and the lowest Redlands (86.2).
The 10 locations below account for 39% of the crime recorded in Church, Reading over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (93).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 93 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 59 |
| On or near Carousel Court | 45 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 39 |
| On or near Tavistock Road | 28 |
| On or near Salcombe Road | 26 |
| On or near Further/Higher Educational Building | 21 |
| On or near Exwick Square | 20 |
| On or near Landrake Crescent | 20 |
| On or near B3031 | 19 |
Of the 876 crimes in Church, Reading with a recorded outcome, 30% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 2.9% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 68 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 339 | 38.7% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 264 | 30.1% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 130 | 14.8% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 44 | 5.0% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 25 | 2.9% | 5.2% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 22 | 2.5% | 1.3% |
| Court result unavailable | 22 | 2.5% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 20 | 2.3% | 3.1% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 5 | 0.6% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 3 | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 1 | 0.1% | 0.1% |
Church, Reading has an estimated population of 10,362 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more social housing (41%, against 17%), more residents with no qualifications (27%, against 18%) and fewer retired residents (13%, against 22%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Church, Reading average decile 3.0 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Church, Reading | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 22.6% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 12.2% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 59.1% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.8% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 12.6% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 8.9% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 25.2% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 27.1% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 25.1% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 43.0% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 41.1% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 15.7% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.0 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Church, Reading a safe place to live?
Church, Reading recorded 91.1 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 1,464th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were drugs.
What is the most common crime in Church, Reading?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 441 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by public order (69).
Is crime in Church, Reading going up or down?
Recorded crime in Church, Reading was down 36% on the year before: 944 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,464 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Church, Reading?
About 10,362 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 12% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Church, Reading?
Church, Reading is policed by Thames Valley.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.