Major proposals to reduce the number of police forces in England and Wales are facing significant pushback, with critics warning the reforms could weaken ties between law enforcement and the communities they serve. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is set to unveil a radical restructuring of the country’s police forces, with plans to slash the current number of 43 forces. The goal is to address what government sources have described as a “widespread epidemic of everyday offences” by refocusing police efforts on serious crimes such as organized crime and homicides. However, the restructuring is already under fire from policing bodies and local officials who argue it could lead to a loss of crucial neighborhood policing.
Local Policing Concerns Amid Major Restructure
Under the new framework, each town, city, and borough would be grouped into a “local policing area,” with officers assigned to address issues like shoplifting and anti-social behavior. However, while local officers would remain focused on these types of crimes, critics argue that the creation of larger regional forces would dilute the ability to address local concerns effectively. The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) has voiced concern that merging forces could result in a separation between the police and the communities they serve, making police more distant from the residents they are meant to protect.
The APCC’s Matthew Scott and Clare Moody emphasized that there is little evidence suggesting the public would benefit from larger forces. They cautioned that creating bigger regional forces could reduce local accountability, with residents losing the direct connection to their police officers, who are increasingly funded by local taxes. Additionally, they warned that any potential savings from merging police functions could be overshadowed by high setup costs for restructuring.
Mahmood’s vision aims to address inefficiencies in the current system, where each of the 43 police forces independently maintains separate headquarters and administrative functions. By merging these back-office operations, the government hopes to free up resources for more officers in the field, especially for tackling major incidents like homicides. However, opponents of the reform stress that a larger force may not necessarily result in better performance. Some have pointed to the failure of a similar proposal in 2006, when Labour’s Charles Clarke abandoned plans to reduce the number of forces after a merger between Lancashire and Cumbria police collapsed.
Despite the criticisms, allies of Mahmood stand firm on the need for bold reform. A government source defended the proposal, citing examples such as the Salisbury poisonings of 2018, where Wiltshire Police had to rely on support from 40 other forces. The source argued that under the new system, every police force would have the necessary resources to handle serious incidents, regardless of the area. This restructuring, they said, would eliminate the disparities in crime-solving rates that currently exist between forces.
The proposals are expected to take years to implement, with full implementation not anticipated until the mid-2030s. The number of police forces remaining after the mergers will be determined by an independent review, and it remains unclear exactly how many will remain.
In addition to restructuring police forces, the government has already announced plans to abolish police and crime commissioners by 2028, a move expected to save £100 million. These responsibilities would be shifted to mayors and council leaders in a bid to strengthen local governance.
While many in the policing community have expressed skepticism, some unions, including the Police Federation of England and Wales, have welcomed Mahmood’s willingness to make tough decisions. However, they also cautioned that fewer forces won’t automatically translate into better policing and that reforms must be based on evidence and best practices, rather than simply reducing costs.
