INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF POLICE FORCE STRUCTURES

 

INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF POLICE FORCE STRUCTURES

Further to my recent blog (13 March 2026 -below) on the implications for Non Home Department Police Forces (NHDPFs)of the government’s police reform proposals,  I can now report that the terms of reference for the independent review of police force structures has been published.

A lot is expected from the review in a very short period of time (5 months).  So much depends on the detail of the recommendations, (number of forces etc).  This is an important moment for policing in England and Wales.

I note that the independent review will be staffed by civil servants from the Home Office. Would it not be better just to describe it as a review?

In my last posting on the subject I pointed out that NHDPFs were being ignored in the reform process.  In fact the ToR does not ignore NHDPFs.  It specifically excludes them:

 

The scope of the Review is limited to the 43 territorial police forces in England and Wales. The review will not make recommendations about the role or functions of:

• Specialist national agencies (e.g. the National Crime Agency, British Transport Police, Civil Nuclear Constabulary, MoD Police, Counter Terrorism Policing)  (paragraph 5)

 

It seems odd to me that the most important review of policing for 60 years should exclude small but significant aspects of policing activity.  The proposals talk of creating a national police service, but this will exclude the existing national police forces.  The ToR refers to them as examples of ‘specialist national agencies’ and this is a fair characterisation.  But other specialist agencies are likely to form part of the NPS.  Moreover the work of forces such at BTP takes place almost entirely in public places and requires a very close working relationship with local forces.  Most of the crimes dealt with by BTP are the same as those tackled by local forces.  The work of NHDPFs will be radically changed by the reduction in the number of forces.  The policing of infrastructure and the need to protect the public has never been more important during peacetime and yet the policing of national infrastructure sites and the railway networks is left to one side.

There will be officers and staff in NHDPFs who will breathe a sigh of relief that this review might leave them alone.  Hopefully they will not feel able to claim in the future that they are being left out when important matters are discussed (pay comes to mind).  Reform is difficult, always painful and operates under the cloud of potential failure.  But it is an opportunity to improve policing.  Excluding NHDPFs is an opportunity missed.

 

Philip Trendall

March 2026

 

NOTE

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-review-of-police-force-structures-terms-of-reference/independent-review-of-police-force-structures-terms-of-reference  Published 19 march 2026. [Viewed 18 March 2026]

#Police #British Transport Police #PoliceReform #CNC #MDP #HomeOffice