In January 2026, the Government published its White Paper on policing reform From local to national: a new model for policing which sets out its proposals for the reform and modernisation of policing in the UK, including the abolition of Police and Crime Commissioners from 2028.
The White Paper covers a range of areas of reform, including:
- An ambition to reduce the number of police forces in England and Wales
- A new National Police Service to lead on serious and organised crime and counter terrorism, as well as hosting a number of ‘national’ functions like forensics
- Abolishing Police and Crime Commissioners from May 2028 with new Police and Crime Boards set up where the powers currently cannot be transferred to a regional mayor
- More direct national oversight of policing through national guarantees and priorities underpinned by targets and a new National Performance Framework due in 2026
- Plans for a future review of the police funding formula which determines how national funding for policing is allocated across England and Wales.
The White Paper covers a range of other issues, including reforms to the arrangements for appointment and dismissal of chief constables and police conduct matters.
The timescales and details for many of these reforms are not yet clear and many of the structural changes are expected to take place beyond 2029. We intend to update this page regularly so you can see how the proposals might affect the delivery and governance of policing in Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
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