People living and working in Reading, Berkshire, can now meet face-to-face with officers at ten Safer Neighbourhood Forums taking place across the town through 31 March 2026. These public meetings, organised by Reading Borough Council and Thames Valley Police, allow residents to report concerns such as anti‑social behaviour (ASB) and help decide which streets should be prioritised for patrols.
Cllr Karen Rowland (Lead Councillor for Environmental Services and Community Safety) and Supt Colin Hudson (TVP Reading Local Commander) say the forums are the best way for the community to tell them exactly where issues are happening. The Safer Neighbourhood Forums will be held in community centres, schools and other local venues to make them accessible to residents and businesses.
Reading Borough Council says the Reading Neighbourhood Watch Network is assisting with outreach and running a local ‘2026 Crime and Community Survey’ alongside the forums to gather feedback. That feedback comes as Thames Valley Police plans to recruit 53 additional neighbourhood officers across the Thames Valley area (Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire) as part of the 2026/27 settlement reported by the BBC.
The meetings follow the relocation of Reading’s police base from Castle Street to Atlantic House in Whitley in November 2025. National Crime Survey data from the Office for National Statistics (Crime Survey for England and Wales, year ending Sept 2025) estimates about 38% of people experienced or witnessed anti‑social behaviour, underlining why local, face‑to‑face discussions are being prioritised.
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