Met chief calls for major policing overhaul, warning system is ‘heading for failure’

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley is to call for a major overhaul of policing in England and Wales, warning that the current system is “heading for failure” as criminals increasingly operate across regional and international borders.

In a speech on Friday, Rowley will propose replacing the existing 43 forces with eight to 10 regional forces, hundreds of local policing commands and a new National Police Service. He argues that the present structure cannot keep pace with organised crime, fraud, cybercrime and online child abuse.

The proposed national service would tackle the most serious crimes, while regional forces would share specialist resources and local teams would handle neighbourhood issues. Rowley says merging forces could reduce duplication and free thousands of roles for frontline policing. He says forces are also under financial pressure, relying on ageing technology and diverting officers from neighbourhood work to other demands, including mental health and social care.

The proposals follow a consultation launched by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood in January, which included a national police service and possible mergers. The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners supports modernisation and a national service, but says the case for reducing 43 forces to nine regional “mega-forces” is not clear. Some rural police and crime commissioners have described the plans as political manoeuvring by larger forces.

A Home Office spokesperson said the current model had not changed since the 1960s and was no longer fit for purpose. Rowley also says police performance has fallen: positive outcomes nationally are now less than half their level 12 years ago, while public confidence has dropped by 9%.