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The Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has unveiled an extensive reform plan aimed at overhauling the policing system in England and Wales, which she described as “broken.” Central to the proposals is the establishment of a new National Police Service (NPS) designed to tackle the most complex and cross-border crime effectively. As part of the reorganization, the number of local police forces could be reduced by approximately two-thirds. Mahmood emphasized the government’s intention to better integrate technology within policing efforts, highlighting the planned “largest-ever rollout of facial recognition” technology. “This government’s reforms will ensure we have the right policing in the right place,” she asserted during her statement to the House of Commons.
The reforms are outlined in a 106-page white paper released recently, which Mahmood described as “the most significant changes to policing in this country in nearly 200 years.” She stressed a dual approach where local policing continues to safeguard communities directly, while national policing addresses threats that endanger the entire country. The specifics regarding how many forces might be merged and their new structures will be examined in an upcoming review scheduled to report back this summer. While some officials, like Clare Moody of Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner, have cautiously welcomed the review, others have expressed opposition. Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp criticized the plan, arguing that merging forces risks alienating local communities and shifting resources away from smaller towns and villages towards major cities.
Beyond structural changes, Mahmood has previously proposed abolishing elected Police and Crime Commissioners and creating an entity akin to a “British FBI,” a vision that will be materialized by combining the existing National Crime Agency (NCA), Counter Terrorism Policing, and functions from the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), National Police Air Service (NPAS), and the College of Policing. This new body will also manage a national forensics service. One of the driving forces behind this consolidation is to streamline funding and decision-making, areas currently hindered by complex negotiation processes across multiple policing bodies. NPCC chairman Gavin Stephen pointed out that this sluggish and cumbersome system prevents the rapid rollout of emerging technologies. “The consolidation of the money and the decision making is really important,” he said following Mahmood’s announcements.
The new NPS will be overseen by a National Police Commissioner directly accountable to the Home Secretary. Officials hope the service will be operational by the next parliamentary term. Graeme Biggar, director general of the NCA, supported the concept, noting that threats like terrorism, hostile state activity, and organized crime are becoming more interconnected and complex. The proposal to reduce the number of police forces seeks to cut duplication and address significant performance disparities among existing forces. Examples of such police restructuring already exist within the UK: Scotland combined eight forces in 2013 to create Police Scotland, and the Police Service of Northern Ireland was established in 2001. The Home Office highlighted disparities in charging rates for crimes such as burglary between regions, underscoring the unequal quality of service across local forces. Mahmood’s plan, titled “From Local to National: A New Model for Policing,” aims to deliver consistent policing services down to council ward level while reducing excessive bureaucracy that currently hampers officers’ effectiveness.
In addition to organizational reform, the government plans to expand the use of Live Facial Recognition technology nationwide. Following successful trials in South Wales and London, the number of facial recognition vans will increase from 10 to 50. These vehicles will support law enforcement in quickly identifying individuals on police watchlists. Furthermore, the Home Office has announced intentions to establish a National Centre for AI in policing, tasked with developing tools to assist officers in analyzing CCTV footage and handling documents more efficiently. Legislative changes to facilitate easier police mergers are expected to pass during this parliamentary session, with the first merger anticipated to occur before the next election, although most will take place subsequently
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