Crime in Caversham: statistics, rates and trends
1,754 crimes were recorded in Caversham in the 12 months to August 2026, 53.4 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 12% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Caversham at a glance
- Crime trends in Caversham
- Types of crime in Caversham
- Caversham compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Caversham
- Streets with the most crime in Caversham
- What happened after crimes were reported in Caversham
- Demographics of Caversham
- Questions about crime in Caversham
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (592), shoplifting (369) and anti-social behaviour (152) made up 63% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 1,090th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lowest quarter.
| Measure | Caversham | Reading | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,754 | 20,492 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 53.4 | 112.0 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +12% | +5% | -1% |
| Population | 32,846 | 182,907 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Caversham peaked in the year to August 2023 (1,768 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2019 (1,469). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 18%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,754 | 53.4 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,563 | 47.6 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,661 | 50.6 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,768 | 53.8 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,742 | 53.0 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,667 | 50.8 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,623 | 49.4 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,469 | 44.7 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,481 | 45.1 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 150 |
| July 2026 | 141 |
| June 2026 | 164 |
| May 2026 | 177 |
| April 2026 | 156 |
| March 2026 | 150 |
| February 2026 | 145 |
| January 2026 | 143 |
| December 2025 | 142 |
| November 2025 | 133 |
| October 2025 | 140 |
| September 2025 | 113 |
Compared with England and Wales, Caversham recorded notably more shoplifting (33% above the national rate), and notably less drugs (73% below) and anti-social behaviour (70% below). On the year before, other crime rose from 24 to 42 and shoplifting rose from 248 to 369, while vehicle crime fell from 121 to 94 and anti-social behaviour fell from 186 to 152.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 592 | 18.0 | 34.2 | +20% |
| Shoplifting | 369 | 11.2 | 8.5 | +49% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 152 | 4.6 | 15.4 | -18% |
| Other theft | 126 | 3.8 | 6.4 | -17% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 123 | 3.7 | 6.7 | +40% |
| Public order | 100 | 3.0 | 6.7 | -2% |
| Vehicle crime | 94 | 2.9 | 5.0 | -22% |
| Burglary | 63 | 1.9 | 3.6 | +7% |
| Other crime | 42 | 1.3 | 2.1 | +75% |
| Drugs | 29 | 0.9 | 3.3 | +21% |
| Bicycle theft | 28 | 0.9 | 0.8 | +40% |
| Robbery | 24 | 0.7 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 7 | 0.2 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 5 | 0.2 | 1.0 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
2 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Caversham; the highest is Reading (102.7 per 1,000) and the lowest Sonning Common (35.0).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Caversham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 21,930 | 102.7 | +92% |
| Sonning Common | 209 | 35.0 | -34% |
| Woodley | 1,132 | 41.4 | -23% |
| Twyford (Wokingham) | 413 | 46.3 | -13% |
| Henley-on-Thames | 758 | 61.0 | +14% |
| Shinfield | 353 | 51.8 | -3% |
| Winnersh | 570 | 49.6 | -7% |
| Spencers Wood and Three Mile Cross | 439 | 40.1 | -25% |
Of the 3 areas within Caversham, Caversham had the highest crime rate (77.2 per 1,000) and Caversham Heights the lowest (29.3).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caversham | Neighbourhood | 13,604 | 1,050 | 77.2 |
| Emmer Green | Neighbourhood | 8,155 | 278 | 34.1 |
| Caversham Heights | Neighbourhood | 9,448 | 277 | 29.3 |
The 10 locations below account for 34% of the crime recorded in Caversham over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Conference/Exhibition Centre” (207).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Conference/Exhibition Centre | 207 |
| On or near Supermarket | 156 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 44 |
| On or near Cavendish Road | 36 |
| On or near Church Street | 36 |
| On or near Charles Evans Way | 24 |
| On or near Washington Road | 23 |
| On or near Rhine Close | 21 |
| On or near Short Street | 21 |
| On or near Mead Close | 20 |
Of the 1,602 crimes in Caversham with a recorded outcome, 37% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 6.4% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 152 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 598 | 37.3% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 543 | 33.9% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 181 | 11.3% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 103 | 6.4% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 68 | 4.2% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 36 | 2.2% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 28 | 1.7% | 1.3% |
| Local resolution | 27 | 1.7% | 3.1% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 13 | 0.8% | 0.5% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 4 | 0.2% | 0.0% |
| Offender given a caution | 1 | 0.1% | 0.6% |
Caversham has an estimated population of 32,846 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has less social housing (8.5%, against 17.1%), more residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (50%, against 34%) and fewer residents with no qualifications (11%, against 18%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Caversham average decile 8.7 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Caversham | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.5% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 19.3% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 63.1% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.9% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 21.8% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.8% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 50.0% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 10.7% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 15.9% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 74.7% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 8.5% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 16.7% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 8.7 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Caversham a safe place to live?
Caversham recorded 53.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 1,090th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were shoplifting.
What is the most common crime in Caversham?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 592 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (369).
Is crime in Caversham going up or down?
Recorded crime in Caversham was up 12% on the year before: 1,754 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,563 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Caversham?
About 32,846 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 19% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Caversham?
Caversham 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.