UK to create ‘British FBI’ to bring national investigations under single police force

The UK government plans to establish a new national police force, referred to as the "British FBI," to handle complex investigations like counterterrorism, fraud, online child abuse, and organized crime. This National Police Service will consolidate the work of existing agencies and regional units, including those dealing with terrorism, police helicopters, road policing, and organized crime. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood stated the aim is to alleviate the burden on the 43 local police forces in England and Wales, enabling them to concentrate on local crime. The government believes the current model is outdated and that the new force will attract skilled personnel and reduce costs through centralized procurement. The full proposals are expected to be presented to parliament on Monday, and may include reducing the number of police forces and altering officer recruitment and management.

Police forces in England and Wales will face new mandatory response time limits for emergency calls under a Home Office plan to be announced Monday. Officers will be expected to arrive within 15 minutes in urban areas and 20 minutes in rural areas when responding to serious crimes involving danger to life, violence, injury, property damage, or crimes in progress. The Home Office states this is the biggest overhaul in two centuries and aims to improve accountability, as current response time data collection varies and non-compliance has no consequences. Forces with slow response times will receive guidance from faster forces. While Neighbourhood Watch welcomed the standards, police and crime commissioners warned that many forces may struggle to meet the targets without additional investment in staff and technology. The Home Secretary also plans to reduce administrative burdens on officers and increase visible community policing.