The Crime and Policing Act 2026 received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026. It creates a standalone offence of assaulting a retail worker, provides for Criminal Behaviour Orders following a first conviction and repeals the special procedure for shop theft involving goods worth £200 or less. However, as of 24 July 2026, the published commencement material does not show sections 45 to 47 as being in force. Retailers should prepare their systems without suggesting that the new offences already apply. Reviewing your IP CCTV cameras now can still improve evidence under both the current law and the forthcoming reforms.

What the Act will change

The Government's retail crime factsheet explains that the new assault offence will carry a maximum sentence of six months’ imprisonment, an unlimited fine, or both. On a first conviction, the court will be expected to impose a Criminal Behaviour Order unless doing so would be unjust. An order may prohibit the offender from entering specified shops or premises.

Section 47 will repeal section 22A of the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980. The existing rule does not make theft of goods worth £200 or less lawful or immune from prosecution. It generally requires these cases to be dealt with summarily unless the defendant elects Crown Court trial. After commencement, shop theft will be triable either way regardless of value.

Design for identification, not just overview

A wide shop-floor image may show an incident but still fail to identify the person. Position at least one camera where it can capture a useful facial view, while keeping surveillance necessary and proportionate. Resolution must be matched to lens choice, distance, lighting and angle. The guide to choosing between 6MP, 8MP and 12MP cameras explains why additional pixels cannot rescue poor positioning.

Where vehicles are relevant, the ANPR camera placement guide covers the angles and settings needed for readable plates. The ICO treats vehicle registration marks as personal data, so ANPR also requires a defined purpose, appropriate transparency and a suitable retention policy.

Tills, service counters and doorways deserve particular attention because confrontations involving staff may occur there. Older recorders can undermine evidence through incorrect timestamps, short retention periods or difficult exports, as explained in why outdated DVRs risk UK GDPR enforcement.

Keep footage for a justified period

There is no universal statutory CCTV retention period. The ICO says organisations should keep recordings only for as long as their documented purpose requires. Preserve a relevant incident clip when it may be needed for an investigation, but do not retain routine footage indefinitely merely in case it becomes useful.

Choose surveillance hard drives with enough capacity for the stated retention period and IP CCTV NVRs that can export footage without losing image quality, timestamps or necessary metadata. Restrict access, secure the recorder and keep a record of disclosures. CCTV can be shared with the police where this is necessary, proportionate and supported by an appropriate lawful basis.

Support prevention and privacy

Active deterrence in retail settings may help staff respond earlier, but cameras should support training and incident procedures rather than encourage confrontation. Clear CCTV signage and privacy for UK sites information should explain who operates the system and why recording takes place. Organisations must identify and document a lawful basis for surveillance and ensure the footage collected is adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary.

If the installation is ageing, upgrading from analogue to IP can be phased around entrances, tills and weak recording points. Dependable equipment is as important as resolution, as shown in avoiding warranty issues with poor-quality equipment.

Get your evidence in order

The retail reforms are on the statute book but await commencement. Use the preparation period to test identification views, timestamps, retention, exports and staff procedures. Speak to FVS CCTV as your trade CCTV supplier and review the CCTV accessories needed to complete a secure, proportionate installation.