Retail bodies welcomed the Crime and Policing Act receiving Royal Assent last month. This law introduced a specific offence of assaulting a retail worker; repeals the 2014 legislation which gave the impression that shop theft worth £200 or less would go unpunished and introduces respect orders to help the police tackle persistent antisocial behaviour.
Retailers had complained that shoplifting was not prioritised by the police and that individuals and criminal gangs had taken advantage of the law and the lack of enforcement. The National Police Chiefs’ Council 2023 Retail Crime Acton Plan outlined the action Police would take and how they prioritised types of crime.
Meanwhile, since the Labour government came to power in 2024 there have been national campaigns focused on tackling crime in town centres and the government’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee meant that from last July there are named, contactable officers in every community. Additionally, an extra 3,000 officers have been recruited into neighbourhood policing roles this spring.
Crime and Policing Act passed as attacks on retail workers fall
The British Retail Consortium’s Crime Report 2026 which covers covering the period from 1 September 2024 to 31 August 2025 showed that there has been progress in reducing assaults against workers. Violence and abuse against shopworkers had fallen from 2,000 incidents a day to 1,600 last year.
However, this is still the second highest on record and much higher than the pre-pandemic (2019/20) figures of 455 incidents per day .The BRC said it was particularly concerned that incidents involving physical violence remained largely unchanged from last year, at 118 per day. There were on average 36 incidents per day involving a weapon.
Responding to the new law Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the BRC, said: “The new Crime and Policing Act is a long-overdue turning point in the fight against retail crime. With 1,600 incidents of violence and abuse every single day and 5.5 million thefts a year, the extraordinary levels of retail crime cannot be accepted as simply part of the job.
“The BRC, alongside others, have campaigned relentlessly for these changes. Stronger laws on assault and theft will send a clear warning to would-be offenders, but laws alone won’t keep retail workers safe. What matters now is consistent, visible police enforcement so colleagues can genuinely feel safe and protected at work.
Helen Dickinson also welcomed the Police Reform Bill outlined in the recent King’s Speech. She said: “Organised crime represents a growing part of this problem, and we hope this new Bill can strengthen national coordination between the different police forces to tackle this scourge. The Bill also promises to deploy more police officers in local neighbourhoods to tackle everyday crime and anti-social behaviour.”
Joanne Thomas general secretary of the shopworkers’ trades union, Usdaw said: “No-one should feel afraid to go to work, but our evidence shows that nearly four in five of our members working in retail are being abused, threatened and assaulted for simply doing their job and serving the community. They provide an essential service and deserve our respect and the protection of the law.
So, we welcome the Crime and Policing Act, which includes a much-needed protection of shop workers’ law; ending the indefensible £200 threshold for shop theft prosecutions and Respect Orders for offenders.”
The Act has given extra powers to the police to enter and search premises to which stolen goods have been electronically geolocation tracked, empowering officers to quickly investigate theft and tackle prolific offenders in these cases. The new power will also enable police lawfully on those premises to seize stolen goods and evidence of theft offences.
The BRC said retailers have spent over £5bn in the last five years on improved security measures, from CCTV, to security staff, to improved data collection, and suggested that this investment was starting to pay off.
Meanwhile, the Association of Convenience Stores, which represents smaller independent shops, also welcomed the government action to strengthen enforcement against rogue traders and organised crime operating on high streets across the country. The Home Office has set out new measures to back responsible retailers, including a £30m package to tackle criminal activity linked to high street businesses.
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