Number of police forces to be cut in major shakeup

"Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood will announce plans for police reform next week. She will pledge to "significantly" cut the number of forces from its current level of 43, and tell them to focus on serious and organised crime. Police chiefs have been calling for the creation of 12 "mega forces" to save money and boost crime-fighting efforts. It could be years before changes are implemented, with government sources saying only that it will happen by the end of the next parliament, around 2034."

"Mahmood will argue in a policy proposal that the current model of 43 forces is bureaucratic and wastes money, with each force running their own headquarters, management teams and backroom staff. Ministers also believe the performance of local forces varies too widely across England. They believe smaller forces are less well equipped to deal with serious crime and respond to major incidents."

"It is proposed these will be set up in every borough, town or city across in England, and will be tasked with working with communities and fighting what the government calls "local crime", such as shoplifting, phone theft and drug dealing. Government insiders acknowledge there is an "epidemic of every day offences" going unpunished, and say they believe criminals think they can "cause havoc on our streets with impunity" because people are forced to wait hours or days for police to investigate crimes."

Ministers plan to cut the current 43 police forces in England and Wales down to a much smaller number of larger regional forces, aiming to create capacity for tackling serious and organised crime. The reorganisation could create around 12 'mega forces' to save money and improve responses to complex cases such as murder and drug crime. Changes are expected by the end of the next parliament, around 2034. New Local Policing Areas will be established in every borough, town or city to focus on neighbourhood policing and routine offences including shoplifting, phone theft and drug dealing.

Read at www.bbc.com