UK government unveils plan to reform policing in England and Wales

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has unveiled a major reform package for policing in England and Wales.

Speaking to Parliament, Mahmood confirmed plans to create a National Police Service (NPS) to tackle complex, cross-border crime, alongside a significant reduction in the number of local police forces.

Key proposals include:

• Creation of a National Police Service, bringing together the National Crime Agency, Counter Terrorism Policing and selected national policing bodies

• A review that could cut the number of local forces by around two-thirds

• The largest-ever rollout of live facial recognition, including 40 new vans across England and Wales

• Establishment of a National Centre for AI in Policing to support CCTV analysis and document handling

• Abolition of elected Police and Crime Commissioners

• Introduction of a licence to practise for police officers

• Restoration of the Home Secretary’s power to dismiss chief constables

Mahmood said the reforms aim to reduce duplication, address performance gaps between forces, and modernise policing for emerging threats.

Opposition figures raised concerns about local accountability, while senior policing leaders broadly welcomed the proposals. Full implementation of the NPS is expected in the next parliament.

ℹ️ BBC News, Sky News