New Crime and Policing Bill
A new Crime and Policing Bill is due before Parliament for the first time on 25 February 2025. The Government claim that “the new bill will help tackle the crimes that matter most to communities but have been ignored for too long.”
The governments sets out the background to the measures – “the year ending September 2024, police recorded one million incidents of antisocial behaviour. In the same period, they recorded over 490,000 shop theft offences, an increase of 23 percent over the previous 12-month period. Instances of theft from a person increased by 22 percent, while there were also over 55,000 recorded offences involving a knife or sharp instrument.”
It is proposed under new warrantless powers of entry that police will be able to enter premises where stolen phone locations can be identified through a ‘find my phone’ app, WiFi access points, Bluetooth, mobile network technology or tracking devices attached to any other possession or vehicle.
Two aspects of the Bill will propose a separate offence of assault upon shop workers and previous legislation restricting shop thefts with a value of less than £200 to the Magistrates’ Court will be scrapped.
Respect Orders are proposed. These appear to be a re-branded form of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs). They will be used in conjunction with new powers to seize off-road bikes used in parks and e-scooters used on pavements.
Stalking Protection Orders are to be strengthened, along with a new offence covering spiking and a law preventing registered sex offenders from changing their names while still a risk.
The Bill seeks to Implement a recommendation of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, creating a new duty to report child sexual abuse, backed up by criminal penalties for those who seek to cover up abuse.
A full summary of the proposals in the Crime and Policing Bill can be found here.
Contact one of our expert criminal lawyers
It is clear that the Crime and Policing Bill will once more amend the law and bring in a host of new offences. Our solicitors are able to advise you in relation to any aspect of the new or existing laws. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you are facing an investigation or prosecution.
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