New nationwide police pressure dubbed the ‘British FBI’ is about as much as deal with counter-terror, fraud and legal gangs – however critics warn it shouldn’t come on the expense of group policing

A new national police force – dubbed the ‘British FBI‘ – will be set up to take over counter-terror, fraud and criminal gang investigations in major policing reforms.

The new National Police Service (NPS) will bring the work of existing agencies like the National Crime Agency (NCA) and regional organised crime units under the same roof and will crack down on serious and complex crimes.

Counter Terror Policing, the National Police Air Service and National Roads Policing will all also be merged into the new NPS.

The move forms part of a radical overhaul of policing in England and Wales set to be unveiled tomorrow by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who said the current model was ‘built for a different century’.

However, with the creation of the new service, Ms Mahmood’s white paper is also expected to slash the number of police forces in England and Wales, abolish police and crime commissioners and change how police officers are recruited and managed.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp was critical of the changes, warning that they ‘must not come at the expense of local and community policing’.

He said: ‘More top-down reorganisation risks undermining efforts to catch criminals and it delivers no real improvement on the ground.’

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood will unveil the creation of the ‘British FBI’ tomorrow but her white paper will also slash police forces in England and Wales, abolish crime comissioners and alter officer recruitment

The new NPS would take over counter-terror, fraud and criminal gang investigations

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp says that the changes ‘must not come at the expense of local and community policing’.

Ms Mahmood maintains her hope that the new NPS would allow local forces to focus on day-to-day community problems like shoplifting and anti-social behaviour without the burden of national policing issues on their back.

She said: ‘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.

‘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.’

The NPS will be headed up by a National Police Commissioner who will become the most senior police chief in the country.

While the Metropolitan Police, Counter-Terror Police and the National Police Chiefs’ Council were positive about the NPS changes, they warned the transition ‘must be delivered with care’, and said its success depended on ‘maintaining strong connections with local policing’.

National Crime Agency head Graeme Biggar also backed the new national service, saying that the current system was ‘out of date’ and called for ‘a single, stronger national law enforcement body’.

The NCA, Counter Terror Policing, the National Police Air Service and National Roads Policing will all be absorbed by the new British FBI

The NPS will buy new technology such as facial recognition on behalf of all police forces

Ms Mahmood hopes that with the creation of the NPS, local police forces will be able to fight crime in their communities better

Procurement of equipment will all go through the NPS rather than 43 separate forces which is projected to save £350million by the next election

The NPS will also be dealing with incidents of major national disorder, like riots and civil unrest, and will see the appointment of a new national public order commander responsible for this.

This is in response to the 2024 riots, as Home Office sources say a national response is needed against a background of rising community tensions and increasingly complex, widespread incidents.

Ms Mahmood has also announced a new national forensics service, which is meant to clear a backlog of 20,000 digital devices awaiting examination and save money, and a series of regional crime hubs to take on drug suppliers, serious fraud and child sexual abuse, as well as other offences.

The NPS will set standards and training for policing and buy new technology such as facial recognition on behalf of all police forces.

This is projected to save £350million by the next election by streamlining procurement to a single force rather than 43 separate ones.

Trousers for police uniforms are already bought through a national framework and this has seen significant savings, the Home Office said.

Meanwhile, some forces were paying more to embroider uniform shirts than they were for the shirts themselves.