A new National Police Service (NPS), described as a “British FBI”, will be established to combat the most serious forms of crime and allow local police forces to focus more on everyday offences.
The new body will operate across England and Wales, taking responsibility for crimes that transcend local force boundaries, including terrorism, large-scale fraud and organised crime. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is expected to formally announce the plans on Sunday.
Ms Mahmood will say the NPS will attract “world-class talent” and deploy “state-of-the-art” technology, though no launch date has yet been confirmed.
The service will also oversee the national purchase of policing technology and equipment, including a nationwide rollout of facial recognition technology, which has led to more than 1,700 arrests by London’s Metropolitan Police over the past two years.
National Police Service to Unite Serious Crime Units Under One Command
The NPS will consolidate several national policing functions that are currently spread across different organisations. These include the National Crime Agency, counter-terrorism policing, regional organised crime units, police air support and national road policing.
A national police commissioner will be appointed to lead the new service, making them the most senior police officer in the country.
The Home Secretary said the existing policing framework is no longer fit for purpose. “The current policing model was built for a different century,” she said.
“Some local forces lack the skills or resources they need to fight complex modern crime such as fraud, online child abuse or organised criminal gangs.”
‘British FBI’ Aims to Free Local Police for Community Crime
Ms Mahmood added: “We will create a new National Police Service – dubbed ‘the British FBI’ – deploying world-class talent and state-of-the-art technology to track down and catch dangerous criminals.
“In doing so, local forces will be able to spend more time fighting crime in their communities.”
One of the central goals of the reforms is to enable the 43 local police forces in England and Wales to focus more on neighbourhood issues such as shoplifting, drug dealing, phone theft and anti-social behaviour.
The Home Office said the NPS will help ensure the public receives a consistent level of policing, regardless of where they live.
New Standards, Targets and Accountability for Police Forces
Under the plans, the NPS will also set national professional standards and training requirements, meaning every police officer will be held to the same benchmarks.
Local forces will be given new performance targets covering 999 response times, victim satisfaction, and levels of public trust and confidence. These results will be published, with forces graded to allow comparisons.
Policing in Scotland and Northern Ireland will not be affected, as responsibility for policing is devolved. The NPS will apply only to England and Wales.
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The announcement comes ahead of what the government says will be the biggest overhaul of policing since the service was founded 200 years ago.
Ms Mahmood is expected to outline reforms designed to ensure local forces protect their communities, while national policing safeguards the public as a whole.
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