In January 2026 the UK government published a whitepaper on the future of policing in England and Wales.
There were two main structural proposals: a significant reduction in the number of area police forces from the current 43; and establishing a new overarching police force for England and Wales known as the national police service (NPS).
There were also related proposals for governance of area police forces and the NPS. For area police forces, this involves replacing current governance arrangements under police and crime commissioners (PCCs).
Other reform proposals were about improved police performance; raising policing standards; and investment in support technologies such as artificial intelligence, automation and facial recognition.
For current purposes, this article concentrates on the structural and governance proposals in their application to Wales.
Police force restructuring
In March 2026, the UK government launched an independent review led by former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe to determine the optimum number of police forces in England and Wales. The final report will be completed by late 2026, with an earlier interim report presenting initial findings.
The whitepaper states that reducing the number of area police forces is needed to boost efficiency, cut costs by avoiding duplication, enhance specialist policing, standardise service quality, improve emergency response, and streamline decision-making.
The review’s terms of reference mention how local policing can be optimised through establishing local policing areas (LPAs) – a subdivision of a force area- aligned, or having a relationship, with, existing local government boundaries.
The review is to be guided by ’design principles’ in making its recommendations. Tied in with LPAs, one of these is to promote greater alignment with local government and other public service boundaries.
For Wales, aligning policing boundaries with those of local government and health services also means including the Welsh border. Due to devolution, Wales is a distinct public service area, separate from England.
Presumably, part of the rationale for this alignment is recognition of interconnectedness of policing with other public services such as health and social care, housing and the like.
Recognising the relationship between policing and devolved government means that the review recommendations for Wales must exclude any cross-border police force. The Welsh government must take the lead in advocating this position.
Area police force governance
The whitepaper says that PCCs will be abolished and replaced with local government-rooted policing and crime boards (PCBs) for area police forces. Each PCB would appoint a lead and a secretariat for governance support. The whitepaper implicitly notes devolution and states the UK government will work with the Welsh government and others to ensure Wales’s policing governance reflects Wales’s different arrangements.
Abolition of the PCC governance model is to be welcomed. It has been subject to various criticisms. For example, in 2024 a Home Affairs Select Committee enquiry mentioned lack of public awareness of PCCs; the dependency on the PCC/chief constable relationship; variable PCC performance; and insufficient PCC accountability.
Two other criticisms have been: lack of legitimacy due to low voter turnout at PCC elections (17% in Wales in 2024): and lack of ‘functional alignment’. I used this term in a previous article, referring the lack of inbuilt connection between local authority functions and policing. If police governance is rooted in local government, there is better capacity for that alignment. One of the whitepaper justifications for the change was about improved functional alignment.
A PCB will include council leaders from the force area to ensure representation by elected officials. Each PCB will have co-opted members for extra skills and experience, though examples are not specified in the whitepaper. PCBs will hold chief constables to account and set priorities for each LPA. Details on the size, makeup, and accountability of LPAs are being considered as part of the independent review of area police forces.
The whitepaper says that the UK government will work with the Welsh government, police, and partners to ensure strong local governance in Wales. Practically, this could mean including the Welsh government in police oversight, especially if a single force for Wales is established following the independent review. The UK government supports oversight by local councils to boost accountability, but adapting this for Wales must, surely, require devolved government involvement too.
National Police Service
The whitepaper proposes creating the NPS for England and Wales to provide unified strategic leadership for policing, set standards in areas like data, technology, and training, and deliver national capabilities such as IT services. The NPS would deliver a national police forensics service and be a serious crime enforcement body by incorporating roles including counter-terrorism policing, the National Crime Agency and Regional Organised Crime Units.
The whitepaper says that a single central agency is needed to prevent the present overlap and confusion among organisations, as few hold real authority over chief constables. Currently, coordination is weak and reliant on voluntary cooperation, with part-time leadership hindering progress in areas like data and technology. The whitepaper also says that a unified approach is needed for serious crime and national security.
NPS governance
The NPS will be led by a National Police Commissioner who will operate like a chief constable. The home secretary will oversee the NPS, but chief constables and PCBs will be involved in NPS governance to ensure local perspectives are included. The detail is ‘thin’ and will need to follow, especially to take account of Wales’s distinct circumstances.
Action needed
Major policing reforms will impact Wales, and Welsh government involvement is essential, especially regarding the ongoing independent review of area police forces. Decisions about current and future Welsh forces require input from the Welsh government and others, and this must be prioritised given the review’s timeline.
The whitepaper states force oversight will reflect Wales’s distinct circumstances. This implicitly calls for devolved government involvement. The new Welsh overnment must clarify its approach as to what this should involve.
Details on PCBs in NPS governance are lacking in the whitepaper; further clarification is needed, with consideration for Wales’s specific needs.
More from Dr Huw Evans
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