Community Calls for Action Against Targeted Burglars

Calls for tougher action after claims South Asian families are being targeted for gold and jewellery in Berkshire have gained momentum. More than 1,200 people have reportedly backed a petition calling for increased police action and tougher sentences for criminals who deliberately target households because of their cultural heritage.

The petition, started by Winnersh resident Sanjeev Singh, says families in Winnersh, Woosehill, Lower Earley, Woodley and surrounding areas are living in "constant fear". It describes the burglaries as "calculated, predatory invasions" and calls for more visible and undercover policing, targeted resources, CCTV and improved street lighting. Campaigners also want "deliberate cultural, demographic, or heritage profiling" to be treated as an aggravating factor at sentencing.

Concerns were raised with senior Thames Valley Police officers at a Wokingham Borough Council meeting on October 22. Councillor Chetna Jamthe highlighted an increase in burglaries in Winnersh during August, September and October and asked where the issue sat among the force's priorities.

Deputy Chief Constable Benjamin Snuggs told councillors residential burglary was a "real priority". He said offenders were often responsible for a series of crimes and police used forensic techniques, technology such as Ring doorbell footage and intelligence to try to link cases.

Chief Superintendent Felicity Parker said: "There are concerns in the community here about South Asian families being targeted for the gold in their homes, and I am sorry for those people who have been targeted in the area." She said police were working with residents to understand when burglaries were happening and why families believed they were being targeted. Thames Valley Police has a dedicated Priority Crime Team focused on burglaries.

Chief Supt Parker added such crimes could be difficult to solve and were "often linked to organised groups who are specifically targeting those homes". Police figures presented at the meeting showed 76 burglaries in the area during the six months to the end of September, compared with 77 during the same period the previous year. Chief Supt Parker described the overall number as "relatively stable".

One person supporting the petition, Balvinder, said they had been burgled twice in Bracknell in September. "Life has become a challenge since then," they wrote, adding: "Once a happy family home is now riddled with fear and anxiety." Resident Richa Singh said South Asian families, particularly in Winnersh, Woodley and Earley, had been left "deeply alarmed" by recent burglaries.

Wokingham Borough Council said there had been "a spate of burglaries targeting Asian families across the Thames Valley in recent months" and confirmed increased neighbourhood policing patrols were in place, while cautioning against prejudging motive or pattern before the police assessment is complete. The Ministry of Justice said courts already consider factors including how a crime was carried out, the level of planning involved and its financial and emotional impact when sentencing offenders.

Katie French, Local Democracy Reporter