The Home Office has published a white paper, ‘From Local to National: A New Model for Policing’, outlining the most extensive restructuring of policing in England and Wales in decades. Announced by the Home Secretary on 26 January, the plan distinguishes roles so local forces concentrate on neighbourhood crime while a new national body tackles complex and serious offending.
The government will launch a review with the objective of substantially reducing the number of police forces in England and Wales. The Home Office argues that consolidation would cut duplication, improve consistency and deliver better value for money, while refocusing attention on neighbourhood visibility and local problem‑solving.
A proposed National Police Service would assemble capabilities currently spread across the National Crime Agency, Counter Terrorism Policing, regional organised crime units, air support and national roads policing. A national police commissioner would lead the service, with common technology, intelligence and resources deployed across borders to confront crime that is increasingly digital and networked.
Forensics would move from the 43 forces to the new organisation under central direction. The white paper points to sustained demand for digital forensics and estimates around 20,000 devices await analysis at any one time; the intention is to reduce backlogs and ensure victims receive consistent specialist support regardless of where they live.
Procurement of shared services, equipment and IT would be centralised in the National Police Service. Ministers state that buying once on behalf of all forces could save £350 million by replacing the current fragmented approach, with savings to be reinvested in frontline policing.
The proposals strengthen intervention powers where performance is weak. The Home Secretary would be able to send in specialists from high‑performing forces and would regain the power to require the retirement, resignation or suspension of chief constables for poor performance. New published measures on 999 answering times, response times, victim satisfaction and public confidence would be used to grade forces for comparison.
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services would gain statutory powers to issue directions when forces fail to act on recommendations. In parallel, government will legislate for mandatory vetting standards so individuals cautioned or convicted for violence against women and girls offences can be excluded from policing, with stronger requirements to suspend officers under investigation for those crimes.
The white paper sets out a Licence to Practise for officers, to be held and renewed throughout a career. The licence is intended to assure core competencies, including problem‑solving and technological skills. Officers who do not meet the required standard, after opportunities to requalify, would be removed from the profession.
On responsiveness, the Home Office sets expectations that the most serious incidents are reached within 15 minutes in cities and 20 minutes in rural areas, and that 999 calls are answered within 10 seconds. The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee will be extended so every council ward has named, contactable officers. A graduate pathway modelled on Teach First, backed by up to £7 million, will target top university candidates for neighbourhood roles.
Retail crime is addressed through a further £7 million for intelligence‑led activity against organised gangs, aiming to identify offenders, disrupt tactics and bring more cases to charge. This sits alongside commitments to increase visible patrols and community engagement.
Technology investment is presented as the largest to date, with more than £140 million to roll out new tools. Live facial recognition capacity would increase five‑fold, with 50 vans available to every force, and artificial intelligence would support suspect identification from CCTV, doorbell and mobile footage submitted by the public. A national centre, Police.AI, would coordinate deployment and is expected to return up to six million hours to the frontline each year, equivalent to around 3,000 officers.
Forces would recruit additional technology specialists to strengthen digital evidence capture from phones and laptops in complex investigations, including child sexual abuse, fraud and organised crime. The Home Office positions these measures as necessary to keep pace with the volume and sophistication of digital evidence.
A senior national co‑ordinator for public order will be created within the National Police Service to oversee nationwide responses to major disorder. Local operational decisions remain with chief constables, but the new role will direct mutual aid, require data sharing, set national strategy and monitor implementation of inspectorate recommendations, reflecting lessons from the 2011 riots and unrest seen in summer 2024.
Officer wellbeing measures include expanding the dedicated Mental Health Crisis Line to all officers and staff with long‑term funding. Annual psychological risk screening will be offered to those in front‑facing and high‑risk roles, supported by trauma‑tracking software to identify and support those at greatest risk. Resilience and mental health training for new recruits and supervisors will be mandatory and treated as protected learning time.
Special Constabulary recruitment will be streamlined while maintaining robust vetting and training. The Home Office highlights a 73% fall in specials since 2012, from 20,343 to 5,534 in March 2025, and proposes better integration and incentives to retain volunteers, with a particular focus on cyber security and technology expertise.
If enacted as proposed, the package would consolidate national capabilities, strengthen performance management and free local officers to focus on neighbourhood harm. Forces would need to plan for governance changes, standardised procurement, licensing and vetting regimes, and AI‑enabled workflows within clear legal and ethical parameters set by government and the inspectorate.