In a busy day for bills receiving royal assent, the Crime & Policing Bill has joined the Tobacco & Vapes Bill today (29 April) in clearing all bureaucratic obstacles to progress to becoming law.
Measures introduced as part of the Crime & Policing Act include a standalone offence for assaults on retail workers, recognising the risks faced by shopworkers and ensuring violent offenders are held accountable, and the removal of the £200 threshold for shop theft, encouraging more reporting and improving police response to all incidents, regardless of value.
There will also be extended closure orders for rogue traders, introducing tougher sanctions for those selling dangerous and/or illicit goods.
The introduction of the new act comes as part of a wider prioritisation of tackling retail crime by the Government. Earlier this week, the Prime Minister highlighted plans to crack down on shop theft at the USDAW annual Conference, and earlier this month the Government announced it had met its initial targets of putting 3,000 additional police officers on the streets ahead of expectations.
Policing Minister, Sarah Jones MP (right), said: “This government’s Crime & Policing Act represents a true reset in policy, giving retailers significantly bolstered protections. By removing the so-called £200 ‘licence to steal’, we’ll ensure that shop theft is no longer a ‘summary-only’ offence heard at a magistrates’ court with minimal punishment. This will help to break the cycle of shoplifters repeatedly stealing products and ensure they face proper justice - no matter the value.
“The new standalone offence of assaulting a retail worker, created in direct response to the sharp increase in violence and abuse experienced by staff, will send an unambiguous message: attacks on shop workers will be treated with the seriousness they deserve. Our message is clear - this government will always back those who make up the heart of our high streets.”
A turning point
The Association of Convenience Stores chief executive, Ed Woodall, added: “The Crime & Policing Act marks a turning point in the way that shop theft and abuse will be treated by the justice system. Convenience retailers and shopworkers can feel more confident that action will be taken against prolific shop thieves as the government enshrines in law tougher penalties for attacks on shopworkers and clarity on how shop theft will be dealt with in courts.
“These 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.”
Meanwhile, the Co-op’s colleagues and members campaigned for over eight years for greater protection for local stores and those who work in them and celebrated the bill’s passing today, but added work still needed to be done.
Paul Gerrard (right), Co-op’s director of campaigns, public affairs and policy, said: “Shopworkers have had to tolerate unacceptable levels of theft, abuse and violence for far too long, and it’s not right.
“Local shops are an anchor in communities, and that’s why Co-op, my colleagues and our members spoke-up, often when others wouldn’t, to clearly say criminal behaviour, violence and abuse ‘should not be part of the job.’
“The tide of criminality can be turned - we saw crime levels reducing in the Co-op by more than 20% in 2025. But this is just the start.
“As we continue to invest significantly in wide-ranging safety and security measures, forge successful partnerships with local police forces and see a significant increase in police attendance, this landmark bill has the power to drive further sustained change, and we all must seize this opportunity and continue to do all we can to protect local community stores and those that work in them.”
A ‘social blight’
The Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed) also welcomed the new laws. National president, Hetal Patel, said: “Theft is traumatic for shopkeepers and their staff, and a social blight. But it also imposes a series of direct and indirect economic costs for shops in terms of lost stock and expensive security measures, which undermine their financial viability.
“For these reasons, the measures contained within the act - particularly the removal of the ridiculous £200 threshold for theft and the introduction of a standalone offence of assaulting a shopworker, with a possible prison sentence of six months - are welcome and long overdue.
“More broadly, we will continue to call for more active intervention from community policing teams, so that these issues are taken more seriously and that shoplifting is no longer widely regarded as a victimless crime.”
Patel added that the Fed also welcomed other steps in the new approach to retail crime: “For too long, there has been a lack of police presence in communities, giving thieves and those who indulge in anti-social behaviour carte blanche to carry on unpunished. Therefore, the Government’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee to deliver an additional 13,000 neighbourhood officers by the end of this parliament is another positive step.”
“What independent retailers want to see now is effective, direct action to curb the scourge of retail crime.”
The Home Office says the new powers for police and the wider criminal justice system will help realise this government’s mission to restore confidence in policing. Patel said: “What independent retailers want to see now is effective, direct action to curb the scourge of retail crime, and the police and courts to carry out the measures in the Crime & Policing Act to prosecute and deter criminals.
“We’ll continue to work closely with the Government on the application of measures in the act and push for targeted retail security grants to be introduced, so that small retailers can afford expensive security enhancements like next generation CCTV and other measures to keep their shops secure.”
Better reporting
Finally, industry charity the Retail Trust also broadly welcomed today’s news. Chris Brook-Carter (below left), chief executive, said: “We welcome the act becoming law and the stronger protections it will bring for people working in retail. This could make a real difference to the millions of people serving their communities every day who tell us they are intimidated, threatened, shouted at and assaulted when they are just trying to do their jobs.
“But the new measures will only work if shop staff feel confident enough to report what’s happening to them. One in four retail workers have told the Retail Trust they don’t report abuse and crime to their manager or the police, often because they’ve been put off by a previously unhelpful response.
“We’re working with hundreds of retailers, police forces and other partners across the country to make it easier for staff to report incidents and get the right support to feel safer at work. Many more must now get behind our combined efforts to provide this help for retail workers and ensure that attacks and theft are never accepted as just part of the job.
“Abuse and crime have been having a devastating impact on shop workers’ lives and damaging their confidence, wellbeing and sense of safety long after their shifts have finished. They now need to see that when incidents happen, they will be taken seriously, supported afterwards, and not left to deal with the consequences on their own.”
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