The British government has revealed groundbreaking plans to establish a comprehensive National Police Service, colloquially termed the ‘British FBI,’ designed to oversee intricate criminal investigations spanning counterterrorism, digital offenses, and organized crime. This transformative initiative, announced on Sunday by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, represents the most significant overhaul of British policing in decades.
The newly proposed agency will consolidate multiple specialized units under a single command structure, incorporating counterterrorism operations, regional organized crime task forces, police aviation resources, and road policing functions across England and Wales. This consolidation aims to address critical gaps in local law enforcement capabilities while creating a centralized framework for complex criminal investigations.
Home Secretary Mahmood emphasized that the current policing model, established generations ago, has become increasingly inadequate against sophisticated modern criminal networks. ‘Many local constabularies lack either the specialized expertise or necessary resources to effectively combat evolving threats such as cyber-enabled fraud, online child exploitation, and transnational criminal organizations,’ Mahmood stated.
The restructuring will fundamentally redefine policing responsibilities, enabling regional forces to concentrate exclusively on community-level crimes while the national service handles cross-jurisdictional and technically complex cases. The unification is projected to generate substantial operational efficiencies through centralized procurement processes and attract elite investigative talent through enhanced career development opportunities.
Additional reforms expected alongside the national service implementation include potential consolidation of England and Wales’ 43 regional police forces and modernization of officer recruitment and management protocols. The Metropolitan Police Service, which currently leads counterterrorism efforts, has expressed strong support for the centralized approach, acknowledging the necessity of adapting to contemporary security challenges.