Police Reform
White Paper 2026
The most significant shift in British policing for 200 years. Fact-checked, neutral, and focused on serving officers.
Executive Summary
The January 2026 Police Reform White Paper confirms the abolition of PCCs, the creation of a National Police Service (NPS), and the introduction of a professional Licence to Practise. It commits to 13,000 extra neighbourhood officers and a national performance framework. Crucially, the paper confirms that police pay, pensions, and terms and conditions remain unchanged by these reforms.
Can They Do This?
Sanity-check management actions against current regulations and 2026 reform proposals.
Why Now?
The data-driven justification for system-wide reform.
The government argues the gap between modern crime and police capability is widening. Public confidence in local policing fell from 79% in 2015/16 to 67% in 2024/25. This is exacerbated by a lack of visibility, with over half the public reporting they never see a foot patrol.
Crucially, criminality is now borderless. Fraud accounts for 44% of crime, and 90% of all offences have a digital component. The White Paper states the 43-force structure is treading water against 21st-century threats, leading to a "postcode lottery" of victim care and detection rates.
How will this affect my pay?
Use our impact checker to see what is (and isn't) changing in your payslip.
Tool 2: Pay & Progression Impact Checker
An informational guide on which areas of your pay could theoretically be linked to professional licensing.
Complete the selection to see the potential impact checklist.
Important Note
Current police regulations and the PNB (Police Negotiating Board) have not yet agreed on how licensing will affect pay structures.
Reminder: The 2026 White Paper focuses on structures and performance, not remuneration. View 2025/26 Pay Scales →
Core System Failures
The four pillars the White Paper aims to dismantle.
Fragmentation
The 43-force structure is described as fragmented and inefficient, leading to duplication in HR, IT, and procurement.
Distance
Policing has become too distant from local communities, with reactive response models prioritised over building local trust.
Standards
Weakened national standards between 2010–2024 left forces with inconsistent training and data practices.
Technology Gap
Policing lacks the integrated technology, AI, and data-sharing capabilities to keep pace with modern crime networks.
Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee
Guaranteed delivery of 13,000 additional officers and staff dedicated to community roles by the end of the Parliament.
- Visible Presence: Ring-fenced neighbourhood roles protected from response abstraction.
- Accessible Support: A named, contactable officer for every ward.
- Service Standards: Minimum national response times for local priorities.
What this is NOT:
This is not an overnight fix. Recruitment takes time, and the "Guarantee" will be phased. Crucially, local deployment remains under Chief Constable command—it is national standards, but local delivery.
The National Police Service (NPS)
Replacing multiple disjointed agencies, the NPS will act as the "policing spine" of England and Wales. It is designed to lift the technical and administrative burden off local forces.
- National Strategy Setting the policing mission for all forces.
- Centralised Procurement Buying equipment once, at fixed national prices.
- Tech Interoperability Mandating data standards and software that talks.
- SOC Capability A national surge force for complex investigations.
"National Standards, Local Delivery"
Crucially, the NPS is not a national force like the Police Service of Scotland. Chief Constables remain operationally independent for local response and crime fighting. The NPS handles the 100+ things that forces currently do 43 different times.
Professional Standards
The shift toward a regulated, licence-led profession.
Licence to Practise
Treating policing as a registered profession, equivalent to medicine or law. The licence supports portable accreditation and career-long standards.
Performance Powers
A tiered intervention system to catch failure early. In extreme cases, the Home Secretary’s power to dismiss Chief Constables will be restored.
- National minimum standards for response & detection.
- Creation of a Police Performance Improvement Unit.
- "Turnaround Teams" for underperforming forces.
The Governance Map
Abolishing PCCs and the road to force mergers.
PCC Transition Plan
Structural Reform Review
The 43-force model is treading water. Many forces are considered too small to manage modern crime independently.
Officer Readiness
The White Paper requires professionalisation. Track your readiness.
Tool 3: Licensing Readiness Checklist
Based on existing professional standards, use this checklist to see how "ready" you likely are for a professional licensing framework.
Status
This checklist reflects existing professional expectation patterns, not a new legal requirement.
The Digital Frontier
"Technology that works, data that talks."
Police.AI
Creation of a National Centre for AI in Policing for ethical tool deployment.
LFR Vans
40 new Live Facial Recognition vans deployed nationally for wanted persons.
£115m Fund
Immediate seed funding for automation, data sharing, and AI infrastructure.
Reform FAQs
Serving officers' most common questions answered.
Q: Will this affect my pay or pension?
A: No. The 2026 White Paper explicitly states that remuneration, pensions, and T&Cs remain unchanged by these reforms.
Q: Is 'Licence to Practise' mandatory?
A: Yes, it is intended to be a mandatory requirement for all serving officers in England and Wales once legislation is passed.
Q: Will my force be merged?
A: Specific mergers aren't decided. An independent review reports in Summer 2026; mergers are expected over this and the next Parliament.
Q: Who replaces the PCC?
A: Directly elected mayors where they exist, or Policing and Crime Boards consisting of local authority leaders.
Q: What does NPS mean for me?
A: It should mean better IT systems, national procurement of better kit, and less of the 'postcode lottery' on data sharing.
Q: What is the timeline for recruitment?
A: The 13,000 additional neighbourhood roles are to be delivered by the end of the current Parliament (c. 2029).
Q: Can the Home Secretary fire a Chief Constable?
A: Yes, under renewed performance powers, the Home Secretary will have restored power to dismiss Chiefs in cases of extreme failure.
Q: Will AI replace police officers?
A: No. The £115m investment is targeted at automation of admin, facial recognition, and data intelligence to assist officers.
Q: Does this affect the Office of Constable?
A: The White Paper aims to 'modernise' but preserve the Office of Constable as the bedrock of policing by consent.
Q: Is this evergreen policy or news?
A: This is a statement of intent (White Paper) that will guide policing reform for the next 12–24 months.