New ‘British FBI’ To Take Control Of Terror And Fraud Cases In Major Policing Overhaul

A new national policing body is being established to assume responsibility for counter-terrorism, fraud, and organised crime investigations, under sweeping reforms to the current system.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said Saturday the National Police Service (NPS), which she described as a “British FBI,” would bring together “world class talent and state of the art technology to track down and catch dangerous criminals.”

The new force will absorb the work of organisations including the National Crime Agency and regional organised crime units, centralising their operations and purchasing advanced tools such as facial recognition technology on behalf of police forces nationwide.

Mahmood said policing has been stuck “in a different century” and said the creation of the NPS would be part of a broader package of police reforms she is set to announce on Monday.

The NPS will operate across England and Wales, with the ability to work throughout the wider UK, setting national standards and overseeing training. It will be led by a national police commissioner, who will become the most senior police leader in the country.

The Home Office said frontline officers have been “burdened” with tackling serious and complex crimes without sufficient specialist training, limiting their capacity to deal with everyday issues such as shoplifting and anti-social behaviour.

Over the past week, the home secretary has outlined a series of significant changes to policing, having previously branded the current framework as “irrational.”

Under the new structure, counter-terror policing currently led by the Metropolitan Police, the National Air Service run by West Yorkshire Police, and National Roads Policing will all be folded into the NPS.

The Home Office said intelligence and resources would be pooled between forces in phases to ensure people receive the same level of protection “no matter where they live.”

While the government says facial recognition has contributed to a sharp drop in crime – with reports of 1,700 arrests over the past two years – campaigners have voiced concerns about bias and privacy implications.

The Home Office also said it plans to recruit leadership figures from outside traditional policing backgrounds.

Graeme Biggar, director general of the National Crime Agency, welcomed the proposal and told the BBC “the overall policing system is out of date. Crime has changed, technology has changed, and how we respond needs to change.”

He added: “These are threats that affect us all locally, but need a national and international response.”

Mahmood has previously reiterated that the current policing model is “irrational”, announcing on Thursday plans to cut the number of police forces from 43 to 12 so-called “mega” forces.

On Friday, the government also unveiled details of a new licensing system for police officers, alongside expanded powers allowing ministers to intervene when police and fire leaders are judged to be underperforming.

Reaction from senior policing figures has been mixed. The Police Federation warned that “fewer forces doesn’t guarantee more or better policing for communities.”

The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners also cautioned that creating larger regional forces would be costly, time-consuming, and could weaken ties between police and local communities.

In November, ministers said police and crime commissioners would be scrapped in 2028, a move expected to save at least £100m and redirect funding toward neighbourhood policing.