Crime in Thatcham: statistics, rates and trends
1,696 crimes were recorded in Thatcham in the 12 months to August 2026, 66.4 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 7% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Thatcham at a glance
- Crime trends in Thatcham
- Types of crime in Thatcham
- Thatcham compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Thatcham
- Streets with the most crime in Thatcham
- What happened after crimes were reported in Thatcham
- Demographics of Thatcham
- Questions about crime in Thatcham
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (759), anti-social behaviour (258) and shoplifting (162) made up 70% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 841st of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Thatcham | West Berkshire | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,696 | 10,756 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 66.4 | 65.1 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -7% | -4% | -1% |
| Population | 25,528 | 165,112 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Thatcham peaked in the year to August 2025 (1,814 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (1,368). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 24%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,696 | 66.4 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,814 | 71.1 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,677 | 65.7 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,730 | 67.8 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,666 | 65.3 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,577 | 61.8 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,582 | 62.0 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,429 | 56.0 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,368 | 53.6 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 135 |
| July 2026 | 174 |
| June 2026 | 154 |
| May 2026 | 114 |
| April 2026 | 138 |
| March 2026 | 154 |
| February 2026 | 135 |
| January 2026 | 139 |
| December 2025 | 125 |
| November 2025 | 118 |
| October 2025 | 148 |
| September 2025 | 162 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and vehicle crime (72% below) and burglary (67% below) were well below it. On the year before, other crime rose from 31 to 40, while vehicle crime fell from 83 to 35 and burglary fell from 48 to 30.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 759 | 29.7 | 34.2 | 0% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 258 | 10.1 | 15.4 | -19% |
| Shoplifting | 162 | 6.3 | 8.5 | +7% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 104 | 4.1 | 6.7 | +12% |
| Public order | 104 | 4.1 | 6.7 | -13% |
| Other theft | 92 | 3.6 | 6.4 | +11% |
| Drugs | 66 | 2.6 | 3.3 | -6% |
| Other crime | 40 | 1.6 | 2.1 | +29% |
| Vehicle crime | 35 | 1.4 | 5.0 | -58% |
| Burglary | 30 | 1.2 | 3.6 | -38% |
| Bicycle theft | 17 | 0.7 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Robbery | 17 | 0.7 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 7 | 0.3 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 5 | 0.2 | 1.0 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
4 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Thatcham; the highest is Reading (102.7 per 1,000) and the lowest Oakley (Basingstoke and Deane) (35.0).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Thatcham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newbury | 3,803 | 92.1 | +39% |
| Tadley | 596 | 41.3 | -38% |
| Burghfield Common | 502 | 73.9 | +11% |
| Overton (Basingstoke and Deane) | 246 | 46.6 | -30% |
| Hungerford | 405 | 65.8 | -1% |
| Oakley (Basingstoke and Deane) | 203 | 35.0 | -47% |
| Basingstoke | 10,559 | 87.4 | +31% |
| Reading | 21,930 | 102.7 | +55% |
Of the 4 areas within Thatcham, Thatcham Central had the highest crime rate (93.2 per 1,000) and Thatcham Colthrop & Crookham the lowest (23.8), 4 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thatcham Central | Neighbourhood | 9,670 | 901 | 93.2 |
| Thatcham North East | Neighbourhood | 7,362 | 408 | 55.4 |
| Thatcham West | Neighbourhood | 6,771 | 346 | 51.1 |
| Thatcham Colthrop & Crookham | Neighbourhood | 1,725 | 41 | 23.8 |
The 10 locations below account for 34% of the crime recorded in Thatcham over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Hospital” (198).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Hospital | 198 |
| On or near Supermarket | 117 |
| On or near Broadway | 45 |
| On or near Mount Road | 39 |
| On or near Kendal Close | 38 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 35 |
| On or near Stoney Lane | 33 |
| On or near Parking Area | 27 |
| On or near Park Avenue | 26 |
| On or near Station Road | 26 |
Of the 1,438 crimes in Thatcham with a recorded outcome, 24% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.1% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 258 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 495 | 34.4% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 350 | 24.3% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 223 | 15.5% | 11.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 89 | 6.2% | 1.3% |
| Status update unavailable | 79 | 5.5% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 74 | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 72 | 5.0% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 25 | 1.7% | 2.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 16 | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 14 | 1.0% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Thatcham has an estimated population of 25,528 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer households without a car (12%, against 23%), fewer students (4.8%, against 7.9%) and less private renting (14%, against 20%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Thatcham average decile 7.9 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Thatcham | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 18.9% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 18.4% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 66.3% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.6% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 19.3% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.8% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 29.6% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 15.9% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 11.6% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 71.3% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 14.6% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 14.1% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 7.9 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Thatcham a safe place to live?
Thatcham recorded 66.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 841st of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Thatcham?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 759 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (258).
Is crime in Thatcham going up or down?
Recorded crime in Thatcham was down 7% on the year before: 1,696 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,814 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Thatcham?
About 25,528 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 18% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Thatcham?
Thatcham 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.