Community policing across England and Wales has been given a major boost as the Crime and Policing Act officially becomes law, delivering the most significant expansion of police powers in a generation.
The new legislation is designed to reverse years of declining neighbourhood policing capacity and equip officers with the tools they need to tackle crime, restore public confidence and keep communities safe.
Ministers said the Act addresses long‑standing concerns that community policing has been undermined by a lack of powers and resources, limiting its ability to respond effectively to local issues.
The reforms are underpinned by the government’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, which commits to recruiting 13,000 additional neighbourhood officers by the end of this Parliament. Combined with new powers, the government says this will enable police to act swiftly on the issues communities care about most.
The Act introduces a suite of measures to strengthen police responses to antisocial behaviour and theft, including new powers to ban persistent offenders from key areas and toughen penalties for retail crime.
Key changes include:
- Respect Orders, allowing police to ban repeat antisocial behaviour offenders from town centres and other locations
- Removal of the requirement to issue a prior warning before seizing vehicles used in antisocial conduct
- Ending the outdated classification of theft under £200 as a summary‑only offence, enabling proper punishment
- A new specific offence for assaulting a retail worker, carrying a sentence of up to six months in prison
These measures aim to improve safety for shop staff and restore confidence for communities affected by persistent low‑level crime.
The Act introduces significant new safeguards to protect victims of stalking, exploitation and abuse, including expanded court powers and new criminal offences.
Police and courts will now be able to act more quickly to protect victims of online stalking, supported by new “Right to Know” guidance that enables disclosure of an online stalker’s identity to victims at the earliest opportunity.
Courts will also have enhanced powers to issue stalking protection orders following conviction or acquittal, helping prevent repeat offending.
A new standalone offence of child criminal exploitation has been created, with penalties of up to 10 years’ imprisonment, allowing earlier intervention to protect children from harm. The Act also creates new offences for cuckooing (criminal takeover of homes) and forced internal concealment of drugs or other items.
As part of the government’s ambition to halve knife crime within a decade, the Act introduces wide‑ranging reforms targeting the online sale of knives and weapons.
Measures include:
- Personal criminal liability for technology executives who fail to remove illegal knife and weapons content, with fines of up to £70,000 per offence
- Mandatory two‑step age verification for online knife purchases at sale and delivery
- Legal requirements for retailers to report bulk knife purchases to disrupt organised crime
- A new offence of possession of a knife with intent to cause unlawful violence, punishable by up to seven years in prison
The government said these changes close dangerous loopholes and respond directly to the way knives are increasingly obtained online.
The Crime and Policing Act builds on action already delivered, including the recruitment of more than 3,000 neighbourhood officers, the launch of a national centre for tackling knife crime, and what ministers describe as the largest crackdown on violence against women and girls in British history.
Sarah Jones, Minister for Crime and Policing, commented:
“This is the biggest overhaul of our crime‑fighting powers in a generation. 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 victims’ rights, this Bill is about restoring order and rebuilding confidence.
“Our message is clear: If you spread fear, exploit the vulnerable or fuel violence, the law will catch up with you.”
By combining stronger powers with increased frontline presence, the government said the Crime and Policing Act provides the foundation for long‑term crime reduction, improved public trust and safer neighbourhoods across England and Wales.
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