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The issue of rising “everyday crime,” including shoplifting and phone theft, has been highlighted by the Home Secretary, who describes it as an epidemic. This wave of low-level offenses has reignited concerns reminiscent of Shabana Mahmood’s experience working in her parents’ corner shop, where a cricket bat was kept under the counter to deter repeat shoplifters. Although crime statistics have generally shown a decline in recent years, these specific offences continue to increase, contributing to growing public unease. Many people now wonder whether their belongings are safe or if police will respond when incidents are reported.
This lack of confidence in the police is compounded by scandals and errors at various levels, including horrific crimes committed by a small number of officers and high-profile mistakes such as those involving the West Midlands Police force. Public trust has suffered amid these events, with some police leaders initially refusing to step down despite failures. Across the political spectrum, there is a broad consensus that the current structure and operation of the police forces are not fit for purpose. However, opinions diverge widely on what the path forward should look like.
In response, the Home Secretary is preparing to unveil a major reform plan, described as the most significant overhaul of policing in over two centuries. Although the full details will be announced shortly, it is already known that a primary aim is to reduce the number of police forces in England and Wales dramatically, consolidating the existing 43 forces into roughly a dozen. Additionally, police officers are expected to be required to hold professional licences—similarly to lawyers or doctors—with periodic renewals. The government plans to empower ministers to dismiss Chief Constables deemed ineffective and to deploy specialist teams to assist failing police forces.
A particularly notable proposal involves creating a single large national police body by merging the National Crime Agency (NCA), Counter Terrorism units currently managed by the Metropolitan Police, and other specialized components of national policing. Although the Home Office has not released details about this new entity, this effort echoes past attempts to centralize serious crime fighting, such as the establishment of the Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) in 2006, which was later succeeded by the NCA. Critics argue that current forces lack the capacity to tackle complex, often international criminal networks involved in trafficking and financial crime. As a former Home Secretary put it, criminal organizations operate on both large and small scales, meaning policing must adapt to be both bigger and smaller to meet these challenges. Furthermore, these reorganizations are viewed as partly motivated by financial constraints, as budgets have been tight compared to other government departments
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