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The head of the Metropolitan Police is sounding an alarm about the state of policing in England and Wales, warning that without immediate reform, the system risks “heading for failure.” Sir Mark Rowley, in an upcoming speech, will argue that the current structure is outdated and incapable of tackling the complexities of modern criminal activity.
Sir Mark envisages a major restructuring, proposing the creation of between eight and ten regional police forces supported by numerous local policing commands, alongside a newly established National Police Service. This reorganisation would mark the most significant change to policing since the 1960s by dismantling the existing 43-force model and replacing it with a three-tier system. Local teams would focus on neighbourhood issues, regional forces would pool specialist resources, and the National Police Service would handle the most serious and complex crimes.
Emphasising the nature of contemporary criminal threats, Sir Mark points out that organised crime groups, fraud networks, cyber criminals, and perpetrators of online child abuse often operate across regional and international boundaries. However, police forces remain structured around local areas, making it difficult to respond effectively. He states, “We have 43 overstretched forces trying to do too much, with too little,” arguing that consolidating forces would reduce duplicated efforts and free up thousands of officers to work on front-line policing.
These recommendations come in the wake of a consultation launched by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood earlier in the year, which included similar ideas such as a National Police Service and merging the existing 43 forces into larger bodies. However, some rural police and crime commissioners have criticised the proposals, describing them as “political manoeuvring” benefiting larger forces. The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) echoed doubts about the merger plan, stating, “The case for modernisation and a National Police Service is clear. The case for reducing 43 forces to nine regional ‘mega-forces’ is not.” The Home Office defended the proposals, arguing that the current policing model has not evolved since the 1960s and is no longer suitable for today’s challenges.
In addressing financial concerns, Sir Mark highlighted that funding for policing has declined from approximately 0.9% of GDP in 2010 to 0.7% today. He noted that long-term underinvestment means many forces depend on outdated technology, and officers are increasingly pulled away from traditional neighbourhood policing to meet other demands such as mental health and social care. Additionally, Sir Mark drew attention to declining police performance, observing that positive outcomes are now less than half what they were 12 years ago, and public confidence has dropped by 9%
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