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The Crime and Policing Act 2026 – the Labour Government’s first major effort to do something legislatively about law and order – has become law. While welcoming it, retail figures were careful to add that they wanted to see it enforced.
For example Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) chief executive Ed Woodall said: โThe Crime and Policing Act marks a turning point in the way that shop theft and abuse will be treated by the justice system. Convenience retailers and shop workers can feel more confident that action will be taken against prolific shop thieves as the government enshrines in law tougher penalties for attacks on shop workers and clarity on how shop theft will be dealt with in courts.
โThese new powers need to be backed by local police forces on the ground and the wider justice system sending a clear message that when shop theft incidents are reported, police will respond and justice will be served to break the awful cycle of reoffending that causes significant damage to communities.โ
At the retail trade union Usdaw, general secretary Joanne Thomas welcomed what she called a much-needed protection of shop workersโ law; and an end to the ‘indefensible’ ยฃ200 threshold for shop theft prosecutions; and ‘Respect Orders’ for offenders. She said: “Scotland already has a protection of retail workers law and the Northern Ireland Executive introduced their Sentencing Bill earlier this year, which contains a similar measure.
โAfter many years of campaigning alongside retail employers, it now feels like governments are listening and taking action to give all retail workers across the UK the protections and respect they deserve. Once the legislation is enacted we need to ensure that it is enforced by working with governments, councils, police and retailers to raise awareness, improve reporting and the response to retail crime.”
Usdaw’s โFreedom from Fearโ survey shows nearly four in five retail workers last year experienced abuse, threats or assaults at work. Likewise, while the recent ONS crime survey for the year 2025 estimated a slight fall in theft from shops, the trade body the British Retail Consortium points to high levels of shoplifting in recent years. Lucy Whing, Crime Policy Adviser at the BRC, said: “The causes are manifold, but the rise in organised crime is particular worrying as gangs systematically target one store after another across the country.”
New offences
A stand-alone offence of assaulting a retail worker is new. Also new: a criminal offence of climbing on a specified war memorial or monument of national significance; possession of a knife or offensive weapon in public or private with intent to use unlawful violence; and, administering a harmful substance offence, using modern language, that covers incidents of โspikingโ. This will also cover non-spiking incidents โ for example where a person is sprayed with pepper spray, or where urine or faeces are thrown at a prison officer.
Knives and crossbows
As for online sales of knives and crossbows, sellers will be required to check a photographic identity document, either a passport or a UK driving licence, and a photograph of the buyer; likewise when delivering, the courier must check photographic identification.
ASB
On antisocial behaviour (ASB), the Government says Respect Orders (in more detail, civil behavioural order to enable courts to ban adult offenders from engaging in specified activities) fill a gap in the authorities’ powers against ASB. A maximum fixed penalty notice for breaches of a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) or a Community Protection Notice (CPN) will go up from ยฃ100 to ยฃ500. Under the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme (CSAS) CSAS officers will be able to issue fines for breach of CPNs and PSPOs.
Begging
While Labour (like the previous, Conservative Government) says that it will repeal the Vagrancy Act 1824, new offences are of facilitating begging for gain; and trespassing with intent to commit a criminal offence.
For more detail visit gov.uk.
‘Biggest overhaul’
Home Office Minister for Crime and Policing Sarah Jones hailed the Act as ‘the biggest overhaul of our crimeโfighting powers in a generation’. She said: “It puts policing back on the side of the public and gives officers the tools they need to tackle the problems people see on their streets every day. From banning repeat offenders from town centres and protecting shop workers, to cracking down on exploitative gangs and strengthening victimsโ rights, this Bill is about restoring order and rebuilding confidence.”
Photo courtesy of the Home Office; Sarah Jones speaking at Security and Policing 2026 – the annual official UK Government Security Event at Farnborough.
