New powers for police to crack down on neighbourhood crime as flagship Bill enters Parliament

Under new measures, police will also no longer need to apply for warrants to search premises where stolen items have been electronically located, particularly mobile phones.

The Home Office said it was one of the “biggest legislative updates to crime and policing for decades”, with a comprehensive package of new laws to “tackle head-on the anti-social behaviour, shop theft and street crime that is plaguing our streets”.

The enhanced powers against theft of mobile phones means police will no longer need a warrant to search properties where stolen items have been electronically geolocated.

Under the new warrantless powers of entry, officers will be able to enter premises identified by electronic mapping if stolen items are believed to be there and it is not practicable to obtain a warrant from a court. This can be done through a ‘find my phone’ app, WiFi access points, Bluetooth, mobile network technology or tracking devices attached to any other possession or vehicle.

The aim is to support the police to “act swiftly” in the ‘golden hour’ of investigations, which is particularly crucial for investigations into theft, helping to provide swifter seizures of stolen property and providing a better service to victims.

The new laws will be backed up by the recruitment of 13,000 extra neighbourhood policing roles, with a named officer in every community.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “For too long communities have had to put up with rising town centre and street crime, and persistent anti-social behaviour, while neighbourhood police have been cut. And for years too little has been done to tackle the most serious violence of all including knife crime and violence against women and children.

“That is why the new Crime and Policing Bill is about taking back our streets and town centres, restoring respect for law and order, and giving the police and local communities the support and tools they need to tackle local crime.”

On the new warrantless powers of entry, she added: “For the last few years, our towns and cities have seen street theft shoot up, as organised gangs have been targeting mobile phones.

“But it is extremely frustrating for victims when they can see exactly where their stolen phone has gone but nothing is done.

“That is why we are determined to give the police the powers they need to move fast to crack down on these crimes that are blighting our communities.”

The effective immunity for shop theft of goods below £200 will also be scrapped and retail workers will be better protected from assault.

There will also be increased powers to crack down on repeat anti-social behaviour offenders, with new Respect Orders banning those prolific offenders from our town centres.

Police will be given the power to seize vehicles that cause havoc to communities, such as off-road bikes in public parks and dangerous e-scooters on pavements.

Tougher enforcement action will be introduced against perpetrators of violence against women and girls and better protection for victims. The Bill will strengthen Stalking Protection Orders, introduce a new criminal offence covering spiking and bar registered sex offenders from changing their name where they continue to pose a threat.

Implementing a recommendation of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, the Bill will create a new duty to report child sexual abuse, backed up by criminal sanctions for those who seek to cover up abuse.

To help rebuild confidence in the police, chief constables will be able to remove who are unfit to serve by allowing them the right to appeal the result of misconduct boards to the Police Appeals Tribunal.

In the year ending September 2024, police recorded one million incidents of anti-social behaviour. In the same period, they recorded more than 490,000 shop theft offences, an increase of 23 per cent over the previous 12-month period. Instances of theft from a person increased by 22 per cent, while there were also more than 55,000 recorded offences involving a knife or sharp instrument.

Emily Spurrell, chair of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, said: “This is a major piece of legislation designed to tackle a host of issues that we know members of the public really care about – so-called low-level crimes that blight neighbourhoods, as well as serious high-harm crimes, the threat of which make people feel unsafe.

“Police and crime commissioners (PCCs) and their mayoral equivalents are elected not only to hold police forces to account but to drive change that improves people’s lives. We welcome measures in the Crime and Policing Bill to crack down on persistent anti-social behaviour, shop theft and violence against retail workers, and the recent surge in street crime, along with action to address the ease with which children can get hold of lethal knives.

“We are also pleased to see legislative steps being taken to protect victims of stalking, children at risk of sexual exploitation and abuse, as well as strengthened monitoring of sex offenders in the community.

“PCCs support the Government’s Safer Streets mission but increased powers must be matched with resourcing if policing is to deliver a better service to the public. We acknowledge the financial challenges the government faces, but if the measures in this Bill are to prove effective, resourcing must extend to the courts and prisons which are buckling under the strain of increased demand and a broken justice system.

“Policing alone cannot tackle many of the issues that deeply affect our communities. PCCs are the linchpin for much work with local partners in health, education, local government and the voluntary sector to find effective and innovative solutions, and we are committed to pursuing those aims within the legislative framework Parliament provides.”

Victims’ Commissioner Baroness Newlove said: “It is vital that the police and criminal justice agencies have the powers and resources needed to protect victims and keep communities safe. This Bill marks a step in the right direction, and I welcome the government’s commitment to strengthening neighbourhood policing.

“I have always believed that neighbourhood policing is key to reducing crime and making our streets safer. But to be effective, victims must trust that when they report a crime, officers will not only be present but also have the skills, training and capacity to respond decisively and provide the support victims need.”

Association of Convenience Stores chief executive James Lowman said: “We strongly welcome the introduction of the Crime and Policing Bill, which we hope will send a clear message that shop theft and assaults on retailers will be taken seriously by both the police and the justice system.

“People running and working in shops deserve to be treated with respect, and we believe this Bill takes important steps toward that goal.”

Chief executive officer of Neighbourhood Watch, John Hayward-Cripps, said: “Neighbourhood Watch is delighted that the Government is continuing to show its commitment to neighbourhood policing. The focus on addressing and reducing the epidemic of anti-social behaviour, theft, and shoplifting that we all witness in our town centres and communities will play an important role in increasing feelings of confidence in the police, and feeling safer in our local communities.

“The reduction in police funding over the last 15 years has been particularly felt in neighbourhood policing, resulting in low public confidence and crimes going unreported, due the perception that the police do not have the resources to investigate.

“The Crime and Policing Bill combined with the additional resources being introduced will enable the police to do the job they want to do, rather than only focusing on their biggest priorities, and signals the Government’s commitment to improving our communities and making us all feel safer and more connected.”

Co-op managing director Matt Hood said: “Creating healthy, safer high streets within resilient and durable communities is absolutely essential and I am hopeful the new measures outlined in this Bill will play a role in building these. I’m pleased retail crime is included as it continues to be a significant issue in town centres and communities across the country.

“Many shop workers, across all variety of retail, are verbally and physically abused every day as they go about their jobs serving customers, and whilst in Co-op, we have seen encouraging improvement in police response, the offenders still keep coming. As retailers, we do all we can to prevent crime in our shops, and we need this support from the Government and police to make it count.”

Chief executive officer of Stamp Out Spiking, Dawn Dines, said welcomed the introduction of the Crime and Policing Bill and said: “Increasing public confidence and the sense that people will be safer on our streets, without the fear of being attacked, together with enhanced police visibility, will go a long way to create community cohesion and confidence in Home Office strategies.

“The key to combating predators of these spiking crimes, to enhance public protection and to reduce anti-social behaviour, is proactive education.

“A collaborative approach is essential to satisfy the needs of different communities, environments and changing trends. It is paramount for service providers to have the confidence of receiving current, concise information from key stakeholders, who deal with victims and security, in the day and night-time economy.

“Clearly the detection and prevention of crime is not only a matter for the police. It is the duty of us all, as caring, compassionate citizens, not tolerating a culture of violence where these acts can be committed. This Bill will create a positive impact on encouraging victims – especially of spiking – to come forward, to report, clearly indicating that offending is not acceptable and will have severe consequences.”

Jason Towse, managing director, business services, at Mitie commented: “Those in the industry know that retail crime is never victimless, with a shocking rise in organised crime, prolific offending and assaults on retail workers involving weapons. Too many have suffered and have been left with long lasting scars that persist even after their injuries have healed.

“The introduction of the assault of a retail worker as a standalone offence is long overdue and must become a reality as soon as possible so we finally start to see punishments that fit the crime and drive not just safer retail environments but safer communities in which we work and live. “When we think of retail workers, we often overlook the security officers who strive to safeguard colleagues and customers within stores every day and it’s important that they are also included within this offence.

“Disturbingly, retail security officers also face injuries daily as they fulfil their duties, with a total of 968 incidents in 2024 resulting in physical harm to our security personnel alone. In today’s working world it’s hard to think of another environment where this would be tolerated.

“If we are to take a zero-tolerance approach to retail crime with the necessary justice system in place, all parts of the industry must be considered and must remain united. As the Bill moves through Parliament, retailers, security businesses and law enforcement must maintain a collaborative approach and start to improve troubling statistics themselves with data and technology as enablers.

“Valuable footage captured by security officers using body-worn cameras and the formal data-sharing agreements established between retailers and the police are already starting to lead to convictions. With harsher sentences coming into play, these tools and strategies are essential for apprehending offenders and ensuring that proof is captured so they can face appropriate legal consequences.”