Impact assessment: Crime and Policing Act 2026: economic notes

Title of regulatory proposal: Threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour towards emergency workers.

Expected date of implementation: Autumn 2026

Rationale for intervention, objectives and intended effects

This measure is being introduced to ensure that emergency workers have full protection from abuse, including behind closed doors. It seeks to achieve this by introducing two new offences for threatening, abusive, or insulting behaviour towards emergency workers, where that behaviour is aggravated by the individual’s race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, transgender identity, or sex, including when it occurs within private dwellings. These offences apply where a person either intends their words or behaviour to be threatening, abusive or insulting, or is aware that their conduct may have that effect.

Policy options (including alternatives to regulation)

Option 1 - Creation of two new offences for threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour towards emergency workers on the basis of the protected characteristics of race, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity, disability or sex, including in private dwellings. Option 1 is the government’s preferred option.

The introduction of this new measure is expected to increase Criminal Justice System (CJS) costs, as threatening or abusive behaviour based on protected characteristics within a private dwelling - when directed at an emergency worker, will now constitute a criminal offence.

There are currently no monetised benefits for this measure and so leads to a negative NPSV. This measure is expected to protect emergency workers which may help their retention and morale, as well as act as a possible deterrent.

Creating bespoke offences for specific professions risks encouraging further lobbying from other groups for the creation of a bespoke offence for their workers. The creation of further bespoke offences would lead to familiarisation costs across the CJS.