A CRACK national forensics team will be created to hunt down rapists and murderers as part of a major shake-up of Britain’s police forces.
The CSI-style unit will be part of a new National Police Service that is expected to be formed by merging the National Crime Agency — often referred to as Britain’s — with Counter Terrorism Policing.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood meets officers in LambethCredit: PA
Shabana Mahmood during a tour of the Lambeth Central Communications Command Centre in LondonCredit: PA
Ms Mahmood will announce her plans for reform this weekCredit: PA
Home Secretary , who will announce her plans for reform this week, said: “Forensics are a vital tool in the fight against crime — putting rapists and murderers behind bars.”
Her reforms will be the biggest overhaul since the police was founded 200 years ago.
The aim of the NPS, which will be led by a National Police Commissioner, is to ease pressure on local forces so they can focus on what Government insiders have called an “epidemic of everyday crime” — including shoplifting, drug dealing, phone snatching and anti-social behaviour.
As part of the proposals, the number of police forces in and is expected to be drastically cut from its current level of 43.
Currently, national resources are scattered around the country with the responsible for counter-terror, for police helicopters and for national roads.
But Ms Mahmood insists that policing model was “built for a different century”.
“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.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood
And 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 .
“We will create a new National Police Service, dubbed the British FBI, deploying world class talent and state-of-the-art to track down and catch dangerous criminals.
“In doing so, local forces will be able to spend more time fighting crime in their communities.”
It is understood the NPS will be introduced in phases and will include a major tech drive.
The Home Secretary’s reforms will be revealed in a White Paper tomorrow.
It comes as analysis by the shows that police-recorded street crime rose significantly under the Tories between 2022 and 2024.
Shoplifting increased by 70 per cent and theft by about 60 per cent over the same period.
Shadow Home Secretary yesterday said: “More top-down reorganisation risks undermining efforts to catch criminals and it delivers no real improvement on the ground.”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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