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Shabana Mehmood has indicated major changes in Police When he attacked the “irrational” structure of 43 Force In England and Wales.
in his first speech to police chief Since his appointment, home Secretary Warned that the current system is creating a “postcode lottery” for the public.
A white paper outlining government plans is due to be published in the coming weeks police reformsThe forces are facing a budget shortfall of £1.2 billion.
Seemingly signaling change, he told a conference of police leaders, “The structure of our police forces, if we are honest, is irrational”.
“We have burdened the National Police Air Service and local forces with important tasks like investigations, diverting attention from neighborhood policing,” he said.
“We have 43 forces dealing with criminal gangs crossing the border, and the disparities in the performance of enforcement forces across the country are stark, which rings true to the old notion that policing in this country is a postcode lottery.”
He said adoption of new technology is “piecemeal” and many forces rely on the same systems that have been used for decades.
Ms Mahmood said the government’s upcoming white paper would lay out her plans – which include the creation of a new national center for policing and “comprehensive police reform” first announced last year.
“The details will come later,” he said. “But to give you direction, I was a reformer at the Ministry of Justice. I will be a reformer at the Home Office too.
“And I will, above all, be driven by performance that will provide the right level of scrutiny and accountability without stepping into operational independence, which ensures that you can all police expertly without fear or favour.”
Police chiefs have already called for an overhaul of the 43-force structure in England and Wales, and have backed a system with fewer, larger forces.
Speaking after the conference on Wednesday afternoon, NPCC chairman Gavin Stephens said the current model is no longer economical.
Ms Mahmood also told delegates at the annual summit of the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) and the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) in Westminster that police should not “speak purely legal language into any individual’s tweets”.
This follows a series of free speech lines, including Father Ted co-creator Graham Linehan arrested On his post on social media platform X.
Last week, the Home Secretary announced the former Director of Public Prosecutions Lord Macdonald to review use of police powers Around protests and social media.
It will also include the crossover between these powers and “how we police the online world,” Ms Mahmood said.
“Clearly, there are serious examples of disproportionate arrests,” she said.
“Where necessary, we will legislate to clarify what is inside and outside the law, but we must also be honest that some of these recent arrests raise questions about police decision-making.
“So let me state our position on this issue. Obviously, the public has an expectation that we will have police on our streets. There is definitely online criminality.
“Some things can’t be legally tweeted, just as they can’t be said legally, but we shouldn’t be using purely legal language in any person’s tweets.”
The Home Secretary thanked police and crime commissioners for their public service, despite last week’s announcement that the posts would be abolished from 2028.