The head of the Metropolitan Police has warned that policing in England and Wales is heading for failure unless it undergoes its most significant reform in more than half a century.

Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley delivered the warning in a major speech in Manchester on Friday, 6 November, alongside four other police chiefs. He argued that the current structure of 43 separate forces can no longer cope with the scale, complexity and sophistication of modern crime.

A choice between reform and decline

Rowley told the audience that the country faces a stark choice. “I believe this is a choice between the third greatest revolution in British policing or the inevitable decline and fewer bobbies on the beat,” he said.

He warned that without change, forces would solve fewer crimes and provide less visible local policing, while organised crime, online fraud, cyber offending and child exploitation continue to cross force boundaries.

Eight to ten regional forces proposed

At the centre of Rowley’s proposal is a move from 43 forces to eight to ten regional forces, supported by hundreds of local policing commands and a new National Police Service. The regional forces would share specialist resources, while the national service would tackle the most serious crimes, including serious organised crime and counter-terrorism.

Funding pressure behind the call

Rowley also pointed to funding pressure, noting that police spending has fallen from around 0.9 per cent of gross domestic product to around 0.7 per cent since 2010. The Metropolitan Police alone has lost around 4,000 staff.

His proposals follow a Home Office consultation launched in January.