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The Home Secretary has unveiled a comprehensive plan to reform what she described as the “broken” policing model currently in place across England and Wales.
In a statement, Shabana Mahmood outlined the proposed changes, which include the creation of a new National Police Service (NPS) to address complex, cross-border criminal activity. The reforms could also lead to a significant reduction in the number of local police forces, potentially by as much as two-thirds.
Addressing the House of Commons, she emphasized her intention to leverage technological advancements, notably the “largest-ever rollout of facial recognition” technology.
“These reforms will ensure we have the right policing in the right place,” Mahmood asserted.
The Home Secretary characterized the 106-page white paper presented to Parliament on Monday as representing “the most significant changes to policing in this country in nearly 200 years”.
A key component of the reforms involves Home Office funding for an additional 40 Live Facial Recognition vans, following the successful implementation of the technology in South Wales and London. These vans will be deployed throughout England and Wales.
Further plans include the establishment of a National Centre for AI in policing, aimed at developing new AI tools to assist officers with tasks such as analyzing CCTV footage and transcribing and redacting documents.
Mahmood previously announced plans in November to abolish the role of elected Police and Crime Commissioners. She also recently discussed creating a National Police Service, often described as the British equivalent of the FBI, designed to free up local forces to tackle everyday crime – proposals that have now been formally confirmed.
The proposed NPS would consolidate the existing National Crime Agency (NCA) and Counter Terrorism Policing, while also incorporating functions currently handled by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), the National Police Air Service (NPAS), and the College of Policing.
The Home Secretary will regain the authority to dismiss chief constables, and a licensing system for police officers, similar to that used for medical professionals, will be introduced.
Regarding the potential merging of police forces, the Home Office stated that the specific number and structure of each force will be determined by a review, with findings expected to be submitted to Mahmood this summer.
Labour’s Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner Clare Moody welcomed the review, but cautioned against hasty decisions.
Speaking to the BBC, she said: “There does need to be careful analysis of what this will deliver, not just for numbers, but how this will support our neighborhoods.”
Conservative Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp criticized the government’s statement, noting “what it did not say” and highlighting the decline in national police numbers since Labour took office.
He told the Commons that the Conservative party would oppose the proposed force mergers.
“Her plan includes mandating the merger of police forces, and briefings over the weekend suggest a reduction from 43 down to 10 or 12,” Philp stated.
“Such huge forces will be remote from the communities they serve,” he added.
“Resources will be drawn away from villages and towns towards large cities.”
Home Office sources maintain that reducing the number of forces will not diminish the focus on local policing, emphasizing the aim of eliminating duplication and addressing significant performance disparities between forces.
Scotland consolidated its eight forces into Police Scotland in April 2013, while the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) was established in November 2001 as a result of the Good Friday Agreement reforms, replacing the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC).
HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary, Sir Andy Cooke, welcomed the “ambitious set of reforms” as “required”.
National Police Chiefs’ Council chairman Gavin Stephen stated that establishing a national police service in the form of the NPS would consolidate resources and decision-making, which he deemed “really important.”
“You’ve got rapidly changing new technologies which show huge promise, then you can’t get them rolled out because there are too many decision makers in the system,” he explained.
Mahmood informed Parliament that the NPS will be overseen by a National Police Commissioner, who will be accountable to the Home Secretary.
Officials anticipate that the NPS will be fully operational during the next parliamentary term.
Graeme Biggar, the Director General of the National Crime Agency, expressed support for the proposed NPS and its broad mandate, stating: “The threat is changing, it is becoming more complex and more interconnected.”
“Terrorism, hostile state threats, and organised crime gangs increasingly overlap.”
However, the Police Federation, a representative body for officers, cautioned that “fewer forces alone will not guarantee better policing.”
The organization’s national chair, Tiff Lynch, expressed particular concern regarding the concept of a “licence to practise” for police officers.
A Home Office source told the BBC: “The charge rate for home burglary is 2.8% in Hertfordshire and 13% in South Wales. Where you live determines the service you get from your force.”
Mahmood’s proposals are titled “From Local to National: A New Model for Policing,” with the aim of providing a consistent police service across every council ward.
The white paper states: “A system designed in the 1960s, based around 43 local police forces, is no longer fit for purpose.”
To support local police officers, the government is promising to reduce “excessive” bureaucracy, ensuring that officers are not “fighting crime with one hand tied behind their backs.”
Officials hope to enact legislation that streamlines police mergers during this parliamentary session and to implement at least one “pathfinder” merger before the next election.
However, they acknowledge that the majority of mergers would occur during the next parliamentary term.
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