The Crime and Policing Act finally got Royal Assent in April, which means over the course of the next year we’ll be seeing a range of changes come into effect, with a big chunk of them already having happened on the 29th June 2026. There are 3 main changes to how crime is dealt with in England and Wales, two of them are around the way assaults on shop workers are treated, and the third is the way that lower-value shop theft is prosecuted. Today we’re going to do a short rundown on what the changes are and what you might need to do.
Assaulting a Shop Owner is Now Its Own Offence
Until now, if someone assaulted a member of retail staff, it was dealt with in the same way as any other common assault. The new changes have changed this. Assaulting any retail worker is now a standalone offence in its own right, and carries a maximum sentence of 6 months in prison and an unlimited fine. Courts can also issue a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) if it’s the first time someone has been convicted, which you can use to bar them from your premises. For any staff that deal with the public every day, this is an incredibly welcome recognition that violence and aggression towards them in the workplace shouldn’t just be seen as ‘part of the job’.
The £200 Theft Threshold Has Been Scrapped
If someone stole goods from any retail establishment that were worth less than £200, it used to be treated as a lesser offence. It was even only tried in magistrate’s court. But the new act removes the distinction, and essentially brings retail theft into line with general theft as a crime. This means it’s tried in county courts, and now carries a maximum prison sentence of 7 years. This one has had retailers jumping for joy (sometimes literally), as it means there’s no such thing as a theft ‘too small’ to take seriously. No more small losses adding up to a big one for you.
Why Evidence Matters More Than Ever
Now that there are prison sentences available for each offence, retailers now need to be more careful about the quality of evidence they’re collecting. The possibility of a custodial sentence and CBO means you need to be able to provide proof that leads to a conviction in the first place. So, if you aren’t able to collect good quality evidence (grainy or blurry photos/videos won’t do) that shows what happened clearly, it’s much harder for the police or the courts to act.
With that in mind, here are 2 questions you should ask yourself about your security systems:
- Can your CCTV identify someone, or does it just record something? There’s a big difference between some footage that shows a figure walking through a shop, and footage that can clearly identify a face. Things like camera positioning, image quality, lighting and how well the system is maintained all play a part in how well your cameras can do their job.
- Does your alarm get a real response, or does it just make a noise? An alarm system that isn’t monitored, or isn’t connected to a response might deter an offender for a few moments, but that’s about it. It won’t bring anyone to your premises to interrupt or prevent the intrusion. Modern alarm systems need to be joined up, so that triggering an alarm results in an action, not just a loud noise.
If it’s been a while since your security setup was reviewed, now is a good time to take another look. At Securifix, we design, install and maintain CCTV and intruder alarm systems for retail and commercial premises, and our experienced team can assess whether your current system will stand up when you need it. Just give us a call to speak to one of our expert team today.
