Sir Mark Rowley: Policing is 'heading for failure' without reform

Metropolitan Police chief Sir Mark Rowley is set to warn that policing in England and Wales is heading for failure without urgent reform. He proposes replacing the current 43-force structure with eight to ten regional forces, hundreds of local commands and a new National Police Service to handle the most serious crimes. Rowley argues that cross-border criminal networks are outpacing local forces and that mergers could reduce duplication and redirect thousands of roles to frontline policing. Rural police commissioners and the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners have questioned the case for fewer forces; Rowley also points to underinvestment and a fall in police spending from 0.9% to 0.7% of GDP since 2010.