‘British FBI’ to take over terror and fraud probes in reforms to police

A new National Police Agency is being created to take over counter-terrorism, fraud and criminal gang investigations as part of police reforms in England and Wales.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the NPS, dubbed the “British FBI”, would “use world-class talent and cutting-edge technology to track and capture dangerous criminals”.

It will bring together the work of existing agencies such as the National Crime Agency and regional organized crime units under the same organization and purchase new technologies such as facial recognition on behalf of all forces.

Mahmood said policing was stuck in a “different century” and the new structure would form part of a series of actions. police reforms It will be announced on Monday.

Other recently announced reforms include:

The NPS will cover England and Wales but will be able to operate across the wider UK, setting standards and training. The committee will be led by a national police commissioner, who will be the most senior police chief in the country.

The Home Office said local police officers were being “burdened” with tackling major crime without adequate training, leaving them unable to deal with everyday crimes such as theft and anti-social behaviour.

Last week the home secretary announced a series of sweeping changes to the police force, describing existing structures as “unreasonable”.

Counter-terrorism policing led by the Metropolitan Police, the National Weather Service and National Highways Policing run by West Yorkshire Police will also be brought under the new organisation.

The Home Office said in a statement that intelligence and resources would be shared gradually between different forces to ensure the public receives the same level of security “no matter where they live”.

This is not the first time police reforms have been described as the “British FBI”. In 2006, the Serious and Organized Crime Agency (SOCA) was dubbed “Britain’s FBI”. The coalition government then replaced it with the National Crime Agency (NCA), also dubbed “Britain’s FBI”.

While the government claims facial recognition has led to a rapid decline in crime (reportedly leading to 1,700 arrests in the last two years), campaigners have raised concerns about bias and privacy issues.

The Home Office said new talent from outside the force would also be recruited for leadership roles.

Graeme Biggar, director general of the National Crime Agency, backed the new national force, saying “the overall policing system is out of date. Crime has changed, technology has changed and the way we respond needs to change.”

He added: “These are threats that affect us all locally but require a national and international response.”

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said the changes “should not come at the expense of local community policing”.

He said: “Further top-down restructuring risks undermining efforts to catch criminals and fails to deliver real improvement on the ground.”

Mahmood has previously said the current police structure is “irrational” and on Thursday announced plans to drastically reduce police numbers from 43 to make way for 12 “mega” forces.

And on Friday the government announced details of a plan. licensing scheme for police Civil servants and ministers have increased powers to intervene where police and fire chiefs are perceived to have failed.

The plans have received mixed reactions from senior figures in the force, with the Police Federation warning that “fewer forces do not guarantee more or better policing for communities”.

The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) also warned that creating regional forces would be expensive, time-consuming and risk separating police forces from communities.

Ministers announced their plans in November. scrap police and crime commissioners Saving at least £100 million by 2028 and funding neighborhood policing.