Shabana Mahmood to slash number of police forces in major overhaul

The number of police forces in England and Wales will be reduced as part of a major overhaul of the system.

Home Affairs Minister Shabana Mahmood is set to unveil on Monday what government sources describe as the biggest shake-up in decades aimed at tackling the “epidemic of everyday crime”.

Under the proposed changes, the force’s number, currently 43, would be significantly reduced.

The remaining larger forces will be tasked with focusing on serious and organized crime, as well as complex investigations such as murder.

At the local level, each town, city and district will be designated a “local policing area”, where neighborhood officers will focus on community problems such as theft and anti-social behaviour.

Ms Mahmood believes the current system, which requires each of the 43 forces to maintain separate headquarters and administrative staff, results in wasted funds that could otherwise be directed to fighting crime.

Sources say these reforms are designed to save money by consolidating back-office functions, thereby freeing up resources to invest in more police officers.

The reforms also aim to address performance inconsistencies between forces; Ministers argue that smaller forces often lack the resources to manage major incidents effectively.

A government source has highlighted Wiltshire Police’s response to the 2018 Salisbury poisonings, which required support from 40 other forces, as well as significant disparities in charge rates for certain offenses as key examples of the shortcomings of the current system.

They said: “Under this new structure, all forces, wherever they are located, will have the tools and resources they need to tackle serious crime.

“Where you live will no longer determine the results you get from your power.”

However, the changes will take time to come into force and mergers are expected to be completed only by the end of the next Parliament in the mid-2030s.

It is not yet known how many forces will remain after the reforms; The number and location of new forces will be determined by an independent review.

Similar cuts have been proposed before; Charles Clarke, the then Labor home secretary, announced plans to reduce police numbers to 24 in March 2006.

But Mr Clarke’s proposals were abandoned by his successor John Reid just four months after a proposal to merge Lancashire and Cumbria police forces collapsed and senior officers opposed the idea.

Ms Mahmood’s allies have stressed her commitment to reform, saying the Home Secretary is a “moderniser” and “unafraid of bold reforms and political struggle”.

But Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp said there was “no evidence” that merging police forces would reduce crime or improve performance.

He said: “Top-down restructuring risks undermining efforts to combat crime and inevitably leads to centralized control that will hit towns and villages hardest across the country.

“The Met, the largest force, has the lowest crime solving rates and falling police numbers. Bigger is not always better.”