Skip to content

'No evidence' police mergers will work, says PCC

Amy HolmesHertfordshire political reporter
Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire A man wearing glasses, a grey suit and a blue tie stands outside the blue branding of a Boots store, talking to a female PCSO who is in uniform - wearing a yellow high-vis jacket.Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire
Jonathan Ash-Edwards said large regional forces had been beset by "low crime detection rates"

A police and crime commissioner (PCC) said there was "no evidence" a proposal to replace 43 forces with between eight and 10 ones would help tackle crime.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said earlier this year she wanted to drastically reduce the number of police forces to make them more efficient.

The Met's Sir Mark Rowley has now proposed an eight-to-10 force model and said the current system was "heading for failure" if changes did not happen.

However, Hertfordshire's Conservative PCC Jonathan Ash-Edwards said: "Large regional forces have been beset by low crime detection rates and cuts to local policing. We should not make the same mistakes in our counties."

Bedfordshire's Labour PCC John Tizard was not so critical and said "reform is long overdue... this must include mergers and greater collaboration".

PA Sir Mark Rowley in police uniform speaks during an interview or visit. The officer is wearing a white shirt, black tie and insignia on the shoulders, with glasses visible. The background is blurred, showing warm-coloured indoor surroundings.PA
Met Police chief Sir Mark Rowley wants to replace 43 forces with between eight and 10 regional ones

Rowley has proposed the streamlining of police forces in England and Wales to 8-10, with this regionalisation underpinned by hundreds of local policing commands, and a new national force.

The changes would replace the current, largely county-based, structure with three tiers:

  • local teams dealing with neighbourhood issues
  • regional forces sharing specialist resources
  • a National Police Service tackling the most serious crimes

In January, the home secretary published a white paper and asked the former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Lord Hogan-Howe to look at what the force boundaries might be.

Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire both have their own forces currently while Thames Valley Police covers Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire.

Ash-Edwards, who was elected in 2024, said: "There is no evidence that creating large regional police forces will improve the fight against crime. Independent data shows police forces which solve the most crime and are most trusted by the public are smaller, county forces like Hertfordshire.

"Regional police forces will be distant from the public with decisions being made further away by people who don't know the communities they serve. That inevitably means rural areas and smaller towns will lose out.

"Policing needs sensible modernisation and investment, not top-down and expensive regional reorganisation that will distract policing and divert resources from the front line".

Laura Foster/BBC John Tizard in a navy suit, lighter blue shirt and red patterned tie stands in front of a row of police vans.Laura Foster/BBC
Labour PCC John Tizard said any police reform must include mergers

Tizard, along with the other PCCs, will see his role abolished in May 2028.

"We need a model for policing that is fit for the modern world and ensures police services can make our communities safer," he said.

"It must strengthen local policing units which include community policing, response policing, CID functions, safeguarding, prevention, and partnership with local authorities.

"The larger police services would be like the current collaborative services that exist through Bedfordshire's partnership with Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire."

Those forces already collaborate in several areas, including:

  • Major Crime Unit
  • Road Policing Unit
  • Dog Unit
  • Scientific Services
  • Armed Policing Unit

Each region of the country also already has a special operations unit (SOU), working across county boundaries to tackle terrorism and serious organised crime.

The Eastern Region SOU includes more than 850 police officers and staff, covering Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Norfolk, and Suffolk, while Thames Valley is part of the South-East SOU.

Tizard added: "These larger police services should also be subject to democratic accountability, and local policing units would form part of them with local commanders under a chief constable for the overall police service.

"I recognise the need for mergers, but would prefer a footprint such as Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire, rather than a larger and more remote geographical base."

The government has never said how many police forces it would like to see after its police reforms become law.

A Home Office spokesperson said "Our current model of policing has not changed since the 1960s and is no longer fit for purpose."

Do you have a story suggestion for Beds, Herts or Bucks? Contact us below.

Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.

You might also be interested in
Related internet links