Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is preparing to announce the biggest reshaping of the service’s structure in more than 50 years. ‌One police official said they expected the number of remaining forces across England and Wales could be ‘counted on both hands’. The Home Secretary will argue larger forces are vital to make policing more effective at tackling quality-of-life crimes such as shoplifting, phone theft and anti-social behaviour. But the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, which represents elected officials currently overseeing most forces, warned against creating larger force areas. Instead, she will hand oversight of forces to local authorities and elected mayors.

Source: The Star January 24, 2026 05:50 UTC