Police and Crime Commissioner responds to Government’s White Paper on Police Reform

This week, the UK Government has published its White Paper that sets out plans to reform the police service. 

‘From Local to National: a New Model for Policing’ outlines a number of significant structural changes to policing in England and Wales, which has been described by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood MP “the most significant changes to policing in about 200 years.”  

The proposals announced in the White Paper include: 

• The creation of a new National Police Service 

• Police force mergers, creating a “small number” of regional forces out of the current 43 in England and Wales 

• The abolition of Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and a transition from the elected PCC model to a Police and Crime Board by May 2028 

• Massive investment in technology including £115m in AI and roll-out of facial recognition across the country 

In a joint statement, all four PCCs in Wales stated; 

“We recognise and support the need to modernise policing and the UK Government’s white paper provides us with that opportunity. 

“Policing in Wales operates within a distinct public service landscape, shaped by close partnerships with Welsh Government, local authorities, health services, and our NGO partners. 

“The partnership approach we have developed over many years here in Wales has been praised by successive governments, and any review of the policing model and structures must reflect this work. It must also consider the evidence of what works best for the communities and people of Wales. 

“Vital to this is the commitment that policing is rooted in the communities they serve, we strengthen neighbourhood policing and that we maintain and enhance local accountability.  

“As locally elected representatives, Welsh PCCs are committed to playing a full and meaningful role in designing future arrangements for Wales, ensuring continuity, stability, and democratic accountability during any transition. 

“The UK Government must now demonstrate how the regional and structural change it is proposing would enhance local accountability and deliver the best possible service to our communities.” 

Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner, Dafydd Llywelyn added; “I welcome the publication of the Government’s Police Reform White Paper  and, specifically the clear emphasis it places on local policing, neighbourhood policing and boosting officer numbers.  These are priorities that are important to the communities of Dyfed-Powys. Strengthening visible neighbourhood policing and increasing the number of officers on our streets will make our communities feel safer and more supported, and is something the public rightly expects of policing in the 21st century.  

“However, while I welcome the intent of the changes outlined in the White Paper, there remain important questions about how these reforms will be funded and delivered in practice. In the Dyfed-Powys area, less than 50 % of police funding comes from central Government, with local council tax payers contributing over half of the police budget. Effective reform cannot be delivered without a clear, long-term funding settlement that recognises the financial realities of policing in rural and diverse communities. 

“The proposal to create a National Police Service has potential benefits in tackling serious and complex crime, but it also raises concerns that centralising functions could inadvertently divert resources and decision-making away from local priorities and accountability. We must ensure that any national design enhances, rather than weakens, the ability of local forces to serve the people who live and work in our communities. 

“Finally, it is disappointing that this White Paper does not take the opportunity to initiate a genuine conversation about devolving policing and crime powers to Wales. Over the past decade, we have made significant progress in collaboration with partners in Wales, building a case for the devolution of policing powers.  A reform of this scale should have included meaningful consideration of how powers and accountability can be aligned with Wales’s democratic institutions. 

“As we work through the detail of the proposed changes outlined in the paper, I look forward to constructive engagement with the Home Office, Welsh Government, police leaders and local partners to shape a reform that truly delivers effective, accountable and locally responsive policing for all our communities.” 

ENDS 

Further information: OPCC.Communication@dyfed-powys.police.uk