Inside the ‘British FBI’: UK plans national police service to combat terror, fraud and organised crime

UK launches British FBI-style police service

The UK is set to create a new National Police Service (NPS), described by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood as a “British FBI,” to handle major investigations while freeing local police to focus on everyday crime. The move comes amid concerns that the current policing system in England and Wales is “broken,” and aims to modernise law enforcement across the country.

Speaking to the BBC, Mahmood said the plan is “absolutely not” about saving money but about building a new policing model. “Local officers have been burdened with tackling serious crimes without proper training, leaving them unable to deal with everyday offences,” she explained. “This reform will allow local forces to tackle shoplifting, phone theft, anti-social behaviour and other routine crimes, while the NPS focuses on national and international criminal threats.”

National responsibilities

The NPS will take charge of counter-terrorism, organised crime, and fraud investigations. It will merge the work of existing agencies, including the National Crime Agency (NCA) and regional organised crime units, under one national body. Several specialised policing functions currently overseen by local forces will also transfer to the NPS, including counter-terrorism operations led by the Metropolitan Police, the National Air Service run by West Yorkshire Police, and National Roads Policing overseen by Sussex Police.

According to the Home Office, the NPS will also centrally procure technology, including facial recognition systems, for all police forces. Intelligence and resources will be shared gradually to ensure consistent security standards “no matter where people live.” While the NPS will primarily cover England and Wales, it will have authority to operate across the wider UK. A national police commissioner will lead the service and become the most senior police official in the country. Mahmood also indicated that senior leadership positions may be filled by talent from outside traditional policing.

Addressing everyday crime

Mahmood highlighted what she described as an “epidemic of everyday crime,” which often goes unpunished due to overstretched local forces. The NPS aims to shift responsibility for serious crimes and national threats to a specialised agency, allowing local officers to tackle issues directly affecting communities. While noting that serious crime has generally fallen, Mahmood stressed that everyday offences have risen and need dedicated attention.

Part of wider reforms

The NPS is part of a broader police reform package. Other measures include reducing the number of police forces in England and Wales from 43 to about 12 larger regional “mega-forces,” requiring all officers to hold a licence to practise, and granting ministers stronger powers to intervene when police or fire chiefs are judged to be failing. The government also plans to abolish police and crime commissioners in 2028 to save at least £100 million, which would be redirected to neighbourhood policing.

While the government points to successes such as facial recognition technology, which has contributed to roughly 1,700 arrests over the past two years, critics have raised privacy and bias concerns.

Reaction from officials

Graeme Biggar, director general of the NCA, welcomed the proposals, describing the current system as outdated. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp cautioned that the reforms must not weaken local policing, while the Police Federation and the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners warned of potential delays, costs, and public detachment.

Mahmood emphasised accountability, stating she would have removed former West Midlands Police chief Craig Guildford after his controversial refusal to resign over a decision banning Israeli football fans. The proposals mark the latest attempt to establish a national crime-fighting body, following previous efforts such as the Serious and Organised Crime Agency and the NCA, both also dubbed a “British FBI.”