More about this area

Thames Valley Police is the largest non-metropolitan police force in England and Wales, covering the counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. The area comprises urban conurbations such as Reading and Slough, large rural areas including West Berkshire, growing towns such as Milton Keynes and Aylesbury, and one of the country’s most well-known university towns – Oxford. Populated by diverse communities of more than 2.5 million residents, a further six million visitors come to the area each year. In addition, there are more miles of motorway than any other British force.

Thames Valley is policed by 4,528 police officers (including 349 in regional posts), 253 PCSOs, 2733 police staff (including 510 in regional posts), 172 Specials and 503 volunteers, working in partnership with 15 local authorities at district, county and unitary level. Bordered by nine other forces, Thames Valley is within the South East Region and has strong co-operative arrangements, particularly with Hampshire. Thames Valley Police is the lead force for the regional counter terrorism and organised crime commands.

In the financial year 2022/23, the force received 372,893 ‘999’ calls, 495,321 non-emergency calls, and 94,570 online contacts resulting in 470,637 incidents and 182,067 crimes being recorded. The force routinely manages significant events such as Royal Ascot, Reading Rock Festival and Henley Regatta, and has seen exceptional commitments in 2022/23 including the funeral of HRH Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles III Coronation and a visit from President Zelensky.

The changing crime landscape has seen increases in high-risk, high-harm and complex offending targeting vulnerable people including child sexual assault, both recent and historic, adults at risk, modern slavery, domestic abuse and missing people. The force is committed to transformational change, both in the digital and workforce arenas, and has a clear focus on priority areas, particularly vulnerability. It is committed to adopting digital technology as an enabler and to improving operational services for the public. Strong partnerships have contributed to an innovative approach in managing violent crime, which has been nationally recognised by the Home Office.

Thames Valley Police is the largest non-metropolitan police force in England and Wales, covering the counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. The area comprises urban conurbations such as Reading and Slough, large rural areas including West Berkshire, growing towns such as Milton Keynes and Aylesbury, and one of the country’s most well-known university towns – Oxford. Populated by diverse communities of more than 2.4 million residents, a further six million visitors come to the area each year. In addition, there are more miles of motorway than any other British force.

Thames Valley is policed by 4,378 police officers (including 314 in regional posts), 356 PCSOs, 3,062 police staff (including 355 in regional posts), 285 Specials and 790 volunteers, working in partnership with 15 local authorities at district, county and unitary level. Bordered by nine other forces, Thames Valley is within the South East Region and has strong co-operative arrangements, particularly with Hampshire. Thames Valley Police is the lead force for the regional counter terrorism and organised crime commands.

In the 2021 calendar year, the force received 313,423 ‘999’ calls, 507,582 non-emergency calls, and 87,184 online contacts resulting in 424,750 incidents and 170,723 crimes being recorded. The force routinely manages significant events such as Royal Ascot, Reading Rock Festival and Henley Regatta, and has seen exceptional commitments in 2021 including the funeral of HRH Prince Philip and a visit from President Biden. The changing crime landscape has seen increases in high-risk, high-harm and complex offending targeting vulnerable people including child sexual assault, both recent and historic, adults at risk, modern slavery, domestic abuse and missing people. During the COVID pandemic, the force took the national policing lead for PPE procurement and was the key PPE distribution hub for the country. The pandemic also altered force demand during the key lockdown periods, receiving few calls for service for crime types such as burglary, but over 62,000 calls regarding COVID. The force is committed to transformational change, both in the digital and workforce arenas, and has a clear focus on priority areas, particularly vulnerability. It is committed to adopting digital technology as an enabler and to improving operational services for the public. Strong partnerships have contributed to an innovative approach in managing violent crime, which has been nationally recognised by the Home Office.