Retail welcomes Crime and Policing Act gaining Royal Assent

The bill has now come into law, which includes major changes to legislation around how police respond to shoplifters, protects shop workers and gets rid of the £200 value threshold under which, before the changes, police would not have to respond to calls.

The legislation creates a specific offence for assaulting retail workers, which the Co-op said would send “a loud and clear message that any crime, even ‘low-level crime’, is unacceptable in society”.

“Shop workers 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 is 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,” said Co-op director of campaigns, public affairs and policy Paul Gerrard. 

“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 act 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.”

British Retail Consortium chief executive Helen Dickinson 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.

“Implementation must be swift: the police need to use the full extent of these powers, while stepping up their presence in stores, so that anyone assaulting our colleagues or stealing from stores faces the full force of the law.”

Retail Trust chief executive Chris Brook-Carter said: “We welcome the Crime and Policing 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 is happening to them. One in four retail workers have told the Retail Trust they do not report abuse and crime to their manager or the police, often because they have 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.”