Britain faces increased crime rates and fewer officers on the streets if policing does not undergo a significant reform, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police has warned. Sir Mark Rowley is set to argue that the current structure of 43 police forces in England and Wales is outdated and struggles to address modern threats like cybercrime, hostile states, and child abuse gangs.
In a speech in Manchester, Sir Mark will advocate for replacing the existing model with a simpler structure, potentially comprising ten regional constabularies. He believes this would reduce bureaucracy, free up thousands of roles, and allow resources to be reinvested in frontline services. "The real danger is not change, the real danger is standing still," he is expected to state, emphasizing that criminals have modernized faster than the institutions designed to stop them.
Police chiefs have long expressed concerns that the current structure hinders frontline capacity and affects the quality of service to the public. Sir Mark proposes a National Police Service to handle the most serious and complex crimes, supported by regional constabularies capable of managing investigations into murder and organized crime. Hundreds of local policing commands would also be part of this revamped system.
He plans to highlight that significant threats, including organized crime, fraud networks, online child abuse, cybercriminals, and hostile state actors, operate across borders. The current policing structure, designed for a different era, allows these threats to thrive. "I believe this is a choice between the third greatest revolution in British policing or the inevitable decline and fewer bobbies on the beat," Sir Mark is anticipated to say.
Furthermore, Sir Mark is expected to address the impact of underinvestment, which forces police to spend considerable funds maintaining outdated computer systems while criminals exploit rapidly advancing technology. He will also point out that officers are increasingly diverted from neighborhood policing to manage societal pressures, particularly in mental health and social care. "Policing has tried to keep up, made do as best it can to patch over our broken model," he will explain. "But the model is creaking. We have 43 overstretched forces trying to do too much, with too little."
This intervention comes amid broader pressures within the criminal justice system. Earlier this year, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood outlined a reform blueprint that included a National Police Service, intended to save £350 million for frontline policing.