The Crime and Policing Act (2026)

The Crime and Policing Act 2026

Crime and Policing Act 2026 received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026. The Act introduces a range of reforms around anti-social behaviour, policing powers, serious violence, stalking and public protection that will require local multi-agency delivery through partnerships.

Impact for Community Safety Partnership:

• Greater emphasis on coordinating responses to anti-social behaviour (ASB).
• New and strengthened powers relating to stalking, including a framework for statutory multi-agency guidance.
• Increased expectation that local agencies work together to identify vulnerable victims and manage perpetrators

Impact for Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults:

The Crime and Policing Act 2026 introduces stronger safeguards for children, vulnerable adults and victims of abuse. Key changes include:

• A new duty to report child sexual abuse, implementing recommendations from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.
• New offences of Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE) and cuckooing, providing greater protection for children and vulnerable adults who are exploited by offenders.
• Grooming becoming a statutory aggravating factor, enabling tougher sentences for offenders.
• Enhanced protection for victims of violence against women and girls, including stronger management of sex offenders, new measures to tackle stalking and a new offence covering spiking.
• New offences targeting image-based abuse and AI-generated intimate images, with powers to remove harmful content more quickly.
• Powers to issue statutory guidance on honour-based abuse, supporting a more consistent multi-agency response.
• These measures are expected to strengthen multi-agency safeguarding practice, improve protection for those at risk of exploitation and abuse, and support earlier identification and intervention