POLICING OVERHAUL COULD CUT 43 FORCES TO FEWER REGIONAL UNITS

MAJOR plans to reorganise policing in England and Wales could be “complex to deliver”, expensive and risk weakening the link between officers and the communities they serve, a national policing body has warned.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is expected to set out the biggest overhaul of policing in decades on Monday, with ministers arguing the current set-up of forty-three separate forces is wasteful and leaves some areas without the capacity to respond to serious incidents.

Under the proposals, the overall number of forces would be reduced, with larger regional forces expected to take the lead on serious and organised crime and complex investigations such as homicide.

At neighbourhood level, each town, city and borough would be organised into a “local policing area”, with officers focused on crimes such as shoplifting and anti-social behaviour.

The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) said regional mergers would be time-consuming and costly, and warned the disruption could “derail” the wider ambition of reforms.

PCCs Matthew Scott and Clare Moody said: “The public want neighbourhood policing. There is no evidence to suggest the public would welcome bigger forces and in terms of public accountability, it also risks creating a separation between police forces and the local communities they serve.

“It makes responding to local policing and crime needs more difficult and removes the link between local taxpayers and the police they increasingly directly fund through the policing precept.”

They added that any long-term savings from larger force areas “could be outweighed by very significant set-up costs”, and questioned the assumption that bigger forces automatically perform better.

Government sources have argued that the current model leads to duplication, with forces paying separately for headquarters and administrative functions that could be merged to free up funds for frontline policing.

Ministers also believe restructuring would help reduce differences in performance between forces, with smaller organisations sometimes lacking specialist resources when major incidents occur.

A Government source said the aim was to ensure all forces had the tools and capacity needed to tackle serious crime, adding: “Where you live will no longer determine the outcomes you get from your force.”

The reforms are expected to take years to implement, with reports suggesting force mergers would not be completed until the mid-2030s. The number and boundaries of any new forces are expected to be decided by an independent review.

Similar proposals have been attempted before. In March 2006, then home secretary Charles Clarke announced plans to reduce the number of forces to twenty-four, but the idea was dropped within months after opposition from senior officers and a proposed merger between Lancashire and Cumbria collapsed.

Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp said there was “no evidence” that larger forces would cut crime or improve performance, warning that a reorganisation could centralise control and leave smaller communities worse off.

The Police Federation of England and Wales said fewer forces did not guarantee stronger neighbourhood policing, but welcomed the Home Secretary’s willingness to consider difficult decisions.

A spokesperson said: “Policing’s current structure has entrenched a postcode lottery in what the public see but also how officers are led, supported and treated.

“Fewer forces doesn’t guarantee more or better policing for communities. Skills, capabilities and equipment need significant investment if the public and officers are going to see reform deliver in the real world.”

Ministers have already announced plans to scrap police and crime commissioners in 2028, with responsibilities expected to move to mayors and council leaders, with the Government saying the change would save at least £100 million to help fund neighbourhood policing.