'British FBI' will free up forces to tackle everyday crime, home secretary says

According to the home secretary, a new National Police Service (NPS) will free up local police from everyday crime by taking over forensic, theft, and organized crime investigations. Shabana Mahmood told the BBC that the NPS, which she has dubbed a British FBI, was not about saving money but rather inventing a new policing scheme for England and Wales. It would bring together existing departments, such as the National Crime Agency (NCA) and regional organized crime units under the same organization, as well as purchasing new technologies such as facial recognition on behalf of all forces. Mahmood said the new policing system was broken, and the new body would be part of a series of police reforms for England and Wales, which she would unveil on Monday.

Other changes that have been announced recently include: The NPS will cover England and Wales, but it will be able to function in the wider UK, setting standards and training. It will be led by a national police commissioner, who will take over as the country's most senior police chief. Local police officers have been burdened with major offences that lack proper preparation, leaving them unable to address everyday problems such as shoplifting and anti-social conduct, according to the Home Office. Mahmood said on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that there was an epidemic of everyday life like phone robbery and shoplifting that often went unpunished.I'm trying to create a new model for policing in this region so we can deal with all of the everyday crime, that it is disciplined, so families can have peace that those sorts of criminals will not be allowed to run amok and have a national police force, which will continue after international criminals and national criminals who don't recognize borders. Local authorities are currently investigating national incidents, with the Metropolitan Police being in charge of counter-terrorism investigation, the National Air Service operated by West Yorkshire Police, and National Roads Policing by Sussex Police. These will all be included in the NPS, as well as the National Crime Agency's (NCA) duties. The Home Office said in a tweet that intelligence and resources would be shared among various agencies in stages to ensure the public is provided with the same level of protection

no matter where they live. This is not the first time police reforms have been referred to as a

British FBI. The Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) in 2006 was dubbed Britain's FBI by the Serious The Coalition government later replaced this with the NCA, which was also dubbed "Britain's FBI. According to the Home Office, it will also look to recruit new people outside of the force for leadership roles. Despite Mahmood's that everyday crime is on the rise, overall crime, which includes more serious offence, has decreased. The government claims that facial recognition has resulted in a dramatic decrease in crime, leading to 1,700 arrests in the last two years, but campaigners have expressed reservations about issues concerning bias and privacy.

Graeme Biggar, the National Crime Agency's director general, supported the new national force but said the overall policing scheme is out of date. Crime has evolved, technology has advanced, and how we respond must change.

These are threats that affect us all locally, but they do need a national and international response,

he said. The reforms, according to Shadow home secretary Chris Philp,

must not occur at the expense of local community policing.

More top-down reorganisation threatens undermining attempts to capture criminals, and it brings no real change on the ground,he said.The proposals have received mixed feedback from senior figures in policing, with the Police Federation warning that

fewer police forces don't promise more or better police for communities. The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) has also warned that the establishment of regional forces would be costly, time-consuming, and could result in the isolation of police forces from their communities. Ministers revealed plans to scrap police and crime commissioners in 2028 in order to save at least £100 million and improve neighborhood policing in the city. Mahmood is attempting to give home secretaries the power to fire police chiefs, but she said it was vital to have accountability because

when something goes horribly wrong" with policing, every body scrutinizes the home secretary. She said she would have fired Craig Guildford's former chief, who refused to resign despite widespread outrage over the force's handling of a decision to prohibit Israeli football fans from attending a match.