Police Reform White Paper

Police Reform White Paper – What Does It Mean for the Public? 

What is this about? 

In January 2026, the UK Government published a plan to change how policing in England and Wales is organised, run, and overseen. The aim is to modernise policing, make it more consistent across the country, and improve public safety. 

Why is the Government changing the police system? 

The Government says the current system is too complex and inconsistent. Different areas are policed in different ways, which can lead to confusion, uneven standards, and inefficiencies. These reforms are meant to: 

• Improve public confidence 

• Make policing more effective 

• Focus more on victims and prevention 
• Ensure police forces can deal with modern crime 
  
  

What is the biggest change? 

The biggest change is that Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) will be abolished in 2028, when their current terms end. 

PCCs are currently elected to oversee local policing, set priorities, and hold Chief Constables to account. 

 

If PCCs are going, who will oversee the police instead? 

The Government plans to replace PCCs with new arrangements: 

• In areas with mayors, the mayor will take on responsibility for policing. 

• In other areas, local council leaders will form a “Policing and Crime Board” to oversee the police. 

Each board will appoint a full-time Policing and Crime Lead, similar to the role that Deputy Mayors for Policing play now. 

 

Why are PCCs being removed? 

The Government believes this new system will: 

• Reduce costs 

• Simplify decision-making 

• Make policing oversight more consistent across the country 

However, PCCs were not consulted before the decision, and detailed plans are still being worked out. 

 

Will police forces be merged? 

Possibly. 

The Government is considering fewer, larger police forces, while still keeping local policing teams in communities. An independent review of police force structures is underway and will report in summer 2026. 

No final decisions on mergers have been made yet. 

 

What does this mean for neighbourhood policing? 

The Government says it wants stronger local policing, even if forces become larger overall. Local policing areas would be based on existing neighbourhood or command-unit boundaries. 

 

What about victims of crime? 

The White Paper says victims should be at the heart of policing. It commits to: 

• Improving support for victims 

• Better coordination between police, councils, health services and charities 

• Using data and evidence to prevent crime before it happens 

 

How will services like victim support and violence prevention continue? 

This is not yet fully clear. 

Currently, PCCs fund and oversee: 

• Victim support services 

• Domestic abuse and sexual violence services 

• Violence prevention programmes 

• Early intervention work 

The Government has promised to work with police leaders to decide how these responsibilities will continue under the new system. 

 

What is the National Police Service? 

The White Paper proposes creating a National Police Service, which would bring together national policing bodies such as: 

• The College of Policing 

• National Crime Agency 

• Counter-terrorism policing 

• National police leadership organisations 

This body would provide national support, standards, and specialist capabilities. 

 

Will this affect day-to-day policing right now? 

Not immediately.

Most reforms will take several years. PCCs will remain in place until 2028, and many details are still being developed. 

 

What happens next? 

• Police leaders and government departments will continue detailed planning 

• An independent review of police force structures will report in 2026 

• New laws will be needed before most changes can happen 

 

Why does this matter to the public? 

These reforms will shape: 

• Who is responsible for policing decisions 

• How local voices are heard 

• How victims are supported 

• How police forces are organised for the future 

The changes are significant and will affect how policing is governed for decades to come. 

 

What does this mean for Wales? 

Will these changes definitely apply in Wales? 

Not necessarily in the same way. 

Policing is mostly controlled by the UK Government, but Wales has different political, legal, and partnership arrangements compared with England. Because of this, the Government has said it will consult with the Welsh Government and key Welsh partners before deciding how the new system should work in Wales. 

 

Will Police and Crime Commissioners be abolished in Wales too? 

PCCs in Wales are still planned to end in 2028, but what replaces them in Wales has not been decided yet. 

The White Paper recognises that Wales may need a different model of police governance to reflect: 

• Stronger links between policing and devolved services like health, housing, education and social care 

• Existing regional and partnership-based ways of working 

• The role of the Welsh Government and Senedd 

 

Will Wales have mayors like in England? 

No. 

Wales does not have Strategic Authority Mayors like some parts of England. This means the English mayor-led policing model cannot simply be copied in Wales. 

Instead, the Government is considering alternative governance arrangements, potentially involving: 

• Local authorities 

• Partnership boards 

• A Wales-specific policing governance model 

But no final model has been agreed. 

 

Who will oversee the police in Wales in the future? 

That is still under discussion. However, the current Home Secretary has made it clear that they will retain ultimate control over policing in Wales and are not supportive of devolving policing powers to the Welsh Government. 

The UK Government has committed to working with: 

• The Welsh Government 

• Welsh policing leaders 

• Existing PCCs 

• The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) 

The aim is to design a system that works alongside Wales’s devolved services and partnership structures. 

 

What about victim support and prevention services in Wales? 

In Wales, PCCs currently play a major role in: 

• Funding victim support services 

• Commissioning domestic abuse and sexual violence services 

• Supporting violence prevention and early intervention work 

• Working closely with devolved services like health and education 

The White Paper acknowledges this and commits the Government to working with Welsh partners to decide how these responsibilities will continue after PCCs end. 

 

Could police forces in Wales be merged? 

Possibly, but no decisions have been made. 

An independent review of police force structures is underway and will report in summer 2026. This review will consider England and Wales. 

Any proposals affecting Welsh police forces would need careful consideration because of: 

• Geography and rurality 

• Cross-border working with England 

• Existing collaboration between Welsh forces 

 

Will there be a National Police Service covering Wales? 

Yes, if created, the National Police Service would cover both England and Wales. 

It would bring together national policing bodies and provide specialist support, training, and national standards, while day-to-day visible? policing would remain local. 

 

What is being done now to represent Welsh interests? 

Welsh policing is represented in the reform process. For example: 

• Welsh policing leaders are involved in national reform discussions 

• Policing in Wales has representation on national reform boards 

• The Government has committed to continued engagement with Welsh stakeholders 

 

What should the public in Wales expect next? 

For now: 

• PCCs remain in place until 2028 

• No immediate changes to local policing 

• Further consultation and decision-making over the next two years 

The final shape of policing governance in Wales has not yet been decided.