Hogan-Howe Review Proposes Reducing England Police Forces to Nine
Former Met Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe recommends consolidating England's 39 police forces into as few as nine regional super forces to combat major crime.
A review led by Bernard Hogan-Howe recommends reducing the number of police forces in England from 39 to as few as nine regional super forces. This proposed structure would create regional forces to manage major crimes and administrative functions, supported by more than 150 local units for neighborhood policing. A new National Police Service would oversee counter-terrorism and organized crime.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is expected to publish the review before Christmas, with a subsequent white paper in the new year. This legislative path may enable the government to forcibly abolish existing forces and remove police and crime commissioners. While Met Commissioner Mark Rowley and other chiefs support the consolidation to prevent criminals from gaining an advantage, others express skepticism.
Critics, including Kent police and crime commissioner Matthew Scott, argue that the proposed forces would be too large to manage and lack evidence of improved performance. Scott stated that proponents would spend a great deal of time tearing up the fabric of policing for a suboptimal outcome. Additionally, the publication timeline has been affected by Mayor Andy Burnham's devolution agenda regarding the role of mayors in police accountability.
