New ‘British FBI’ team to tackle terrorism and gang crime in major police shake-up

A new national police force dubbed the "British FBI" will take over counterterror, fraud and criminal gang investigations as part of a major shake-up of policing to be announced by the home secretary.

The National Police Service (NPS) will fight complex and serious crime, such as terrorism, fraud, and organised crime in order to give overstretched local forces more time to focus on everyday offences, such as shoplifting and phone theft.

The NPS will combine the work of the National Crime Agency and regional organised crime units under one super-force.

Shabana Mahmood, who is set to reveal widespread reforms to policing in a white paper on Monday, said she will lure “world-class talent” to the force, adding: "The current policing model was built for a different century.

"Some local forces lack the skills or resources they need to fight complex modern crime such as fraud, online child abuse or organised criminal gangs.”

The government is expected to radically reduce the number of police forces in England and Wales from its current level of 43.

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The Home Office wants to launch a direct entry scheme into senior roles to persuade professionals in the tech and finance sectors to lend their skills to the police. Police forces are also expected to face new targets for crime fighting under the changes, with those performing poorly named and shamed.

Other police forces that will be part of the NPS include Counter Terror Policing (CTP), led by the Metropolitan Police, police helicopter resources run by West Yorkshire Police and the National Roads Policing.

Ms Mahmood added: "We will create a new National Police Service – dubbed ‘the British FBI’ – deploying world-class talent and state-of-the-art technology to track down and catch dangerous criminals. In doing so, local forces will be able to spend more time fighting crime in their communities."

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The NPS will be headed up by a national police commissioner who will become the most senior police chief in the country.

Once up and running, it will set standards and training for policing and buy new technology such as facial recognition on behalf of all police forces.

The service would share technology, intelligence and resources across borders and be created in stages, working alongside the NCA, CTP and regional organised crime units for the transition.

Backing the plans, former head of Counter Terrorism Policing, Neil Basu, said it will be "far more capable as one national security system dealing more effectively with major crime, organised crime and terrorism in all its forms".

It comes as officers in the City of London said they remained confident that they would keep their national responsibility for fraud under restructuring plans ahead of the announcement.

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Head of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Mark Rowley has previously supported the idea of the national responsibility for counterterrorism being removed from his force.

In a joint statement from the Met, CTP and the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC), they said they support a joint police service, but added: “This transformation, however, must be delivered with care. Its success depends on maintaining strong connections with local policing and the communities we serve.”

And Graeme Biggar, director general of the National Crime Agency, is also supporting the proposals. He said: "The overall policing system is out of date. Crime has changed, technology has changed, and how we respond needs to change.

"As part of reform, we need a single, stronger national law enforcement body, building on the NCA and others, to more coherently tackle organised crime, fraud, terrorism and the new international and online threats we face.”

Ministers have already announced plans to scrap police and crime commissioners in 2028 to save at least £100m and help fund neighbourhood policing.

Instead, mayors and council leaders will take up the responsibilities of policing arrangements.