Police logged 334 crimes within a mile of Bracknell town centre in August 2026, 36 more than a year earlier. Shoplifting nearly doubled to 36; violence was 116.
Thames Valley Police recorded 334 crimes within a mile of Bracknell town centre in August 2026. That is 36 more than in August 2025, a rise of 12%, and the second highest monthly total in the past 13 months. Only July, with 356, was higher.
The figures come from the police.uk open data for the area around Bracknell town centre, which we downloaded on Sunday 11 October. August is the latest month published; the data runs about two months behind.
What the data is and is not. Police.uk gives every recorded crime a rough location, snapped to a point on or near a street, and groups them into 14 categories. We count the crimes within one mile of the town centre, so this covers the Lexicon, the station, Wildridings, Priestwood, Easthampstead and the nearer parts of Harmans Water and Bullbrook. It is not the whole borough. A recorded crime is a report, not a conviction, and anti-social behaviour is logged separately with no outcome.
Thirteen months of recorded crime
The monthly totals:
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2025 | 298 |
| September 2025 | 298 |
| October 2025 | 269 |
| November 2025 | 262 |
| December 2025 | 219 |
| January 2026 | 240 |
| February 2026 | 261 |
| March 2026 | 290 |
| April 2026 | 304 |
| May 2026 | 333 |
| June 2026 | 310 |
| July 2026 | 356 |
| August 2026 | 334 |
The low point was December, at 219. Every month since April has been above 300. The summer is usually busier than the winter, so the fairer comparison is August against August: up 36.
Where the rise is
| Category | Aug 2025 | Aug 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 109 | 116 | +7 |
| Anti-social behaviour | 45 | 51 | +6 |
| Shoplifting | 19 | 36 | +17 |
| Public order | 32 | 26 | -6 |
| Vehicle crime | 8 | 21 | +13 |
| Criminal damage and arson | 15 | 19 | +4 |
| Other theft | 29 | 17 | -12 |
| Drugs | 8 | 13 | +5 |
| Burglary | 9 | 11 | +2 |
| Bicycle theft | 13 | 8 | -5 |
| Other crime | 5 | 6 | +1 |
| Robbery | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Theft from the person | 1 | 4 | +3 |
| Possession of weapons | 1 | 2 | +1 |
Two categories account for most of the increase:
- Shoplifting nearly doubled, from 19 to 36. It was 15 in July, so August was a sharp month rather than a steady climb.
- Vehicle crime rose from 8 to 21, and was 21 in July too. That is the category to watch: two months running at well over double last summer’s level.
Violence and sexual offences remain the largest single category at 116, just over a third of everything recorded. The category is broad; police.uk puts common assault, harassment and serious sexual offences under the same heading.
Where crimes were recorded
The police map places crimes on or near a nearby feature rather than an exact address. The most frequent locations in August were:
- on or near a parking area: 39
- on or near the shopping area: 23
- on or near the A329: 15
- on or near a supermarket: 15
- on or near Clintons Green: 13
- on or near Station Way and Market Street: 9 each
“Parking area” and “shopping area” are generic labels that can refer to any car park or retail frontage in the circle, so they should not be read as one car park or one centre. Our parking in Bracknell page lists the town centre car parks.
What has happened to the August cases
Of the 334 crimes, 51 are anti-social behaviour, which carries no outcome. Of the remaining 283:
- 172 were still under investigation when the data was published
- 67 were closed with no suspect identified
- 36 were closed because police were unable to prosecute a suspect
- 3 ended in a local resolution and 2 in a caution
Those are provisional. Police.uk updates outcomes as cases progress, so the “under investigation” figure for August will fall over the coming months.
What it means for you
Thames Valley Police publishes its Bracknell neighbourhood priorities and contact details on its website. To report a crime that is not an emergency, call 101 or use the online form. Our things to do in Bracknell page has the town centre’s opening hours and events, and the data behind this story can be downloaded from police.uk for any point you choose.
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