The Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police has launched a stark call for a radical restructuring of UK policing, labelling the current system as 'so out of date' and in desperate need of modernisation.
A System Designed in 1962
Speaking on Sky News' Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, Sir Mark Rowley argued that the existing framework is a 'tweaked and bastardised version' of a model designed by a royal commission in 1962. He stated that this structure is no longer fit to tackle contemporary challenges, from national security threats to local community policing.
Sir Mark emphasised that police leaders across the country now share a common mindset that dramatic change is necessary. 'We're prepared to be the turkeys who vote for Christmas in terms of fewer police forces,' he remarked, indicating a willingness to consolidate the current patchwork of 43 separate forces in England and Wales.
Root and Branch Reform for Better Policing
The proposed consolidation is not about damaging local policing, Sir Mark insisted, but rather enhancing it. He described the present arrangement as an 'overly bureaucratic, complicated, convoluted sort of spaghetti system' where complexity drains resources away from frontline services.
'If we sort out all the national arrangements, our ability to counter national and international threats improves,' he explained. The Commissioner also highlighted that future success hinges on major investment in technology, which would be far easier to implement under a more streamlined national structure than the current fragmented model.
He acknowledged the path to reform would be difficult but stated unequivocally that such root and branch change is 'overdue'.
Reform Call Follows Homicide Milestone
Sir Mark's appeal for systemic reform comes in the same week the Metropolitan Police released figures showing London recorded its lowest number of homicides in over a decade.
The force reported 97 killings in the capital in 2025, an 11% decrease from the 109 recorded in 2024. This marks the lowest annual total since 2014, when there were 95 homicides.
While showcasing operational progress in the capital, these figures sit alongside Sir Mark's broader argument that the underlying architecture of British policing requires fundamental renewal to sustain and improve public safety nationwide.
