THE GOVERNMENT is planning to reduce the number of police forces in England and Wales as part of a major reform of policing.
Home secretary Shabana Mahmood is expected to announce the plans next week, the BBC reported. She will say the number of forces will be “significantly” reduced from the current total of 43, with a greater focus on tackling serious and organised crime.
Police chiefs have previously called for the creation of 12 larger forces to improve efficiency and save money.
Government sources told the BBC that the changes are unlikely to be implemented for several years and are expected to be completed by the end of the next parliament, around 2034.
Mahmood will argue that the current structure leads to duplication, with each force running its own headquarters, management and support functions. Ministers also believe the performance of forces varies widely and that smaller forces struggle to respond to serious crime and major incidents.
The plans will also include the creation of new Local Policing Areas in every borough, town or city in England. These units will focus on neighbourhood policing and dealing with what the government describes as “local crime”, including shoplifting, phone theft and drug dealing, the BBC reported.
A government source told the BBC: “Where you live will no longer determine the outcomes you get from your force.”
An independent review will be launched to decide how many forces will operate under the new system.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch criticised the plans, saying: “Keir Starmer's forced police reorganisation will undermine efforts to flight crime across England and Wales, inevitably leading to centralised control and reduced policing in towns and villages across the country.”
