Headlines
UK to create new 'British FBI' police service
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on January 24, 2026
2 min readLast updated: January 24, 2026
Global Banking and Finance Review
Company
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on January 24, 2026
2 min readLast updated: January 24, 2026
The UK government plans a new 'British FBI' to modernize policing, focusing on terrorism and organized crime, while local forces handle everyday offenses.
LONDON, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Britain's government said on Saturday it will create a new National Police Service, described as a "British FBI", to modernise policing and deal with terrorism, fraud, organised crime and other complex criminal activity.
The new force will bring together the work of the National Crime Agency, which investigates serious organised crime such as drug smuggling and people trafficking, with other country-wide roles like counter-terrorism and national road policing.
Once appointed, its chief - the National Crime Commissioner - will be the most senior officer in the country. Currently, the head of London's Metropolitan Police is Britain's highest-ranking law enforcement official.
Creation of the National Police Service will form part of major police reforms the government is due to unveil on Monday, which it is casting as the biggest shake-up in policing since Robert Peel established the first professional force in 1829.
"The current policing model was built for a different century," Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, the UK's interior minister, said in a statement.
"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," she said, likening it to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation.
There are currently 43 local police forces in England and Wales, with some holding national roles, such as the London police, which is responsible for counter-terrorism.
Mahmood said the shake-up would allow local forces to focus on dealing with everyday offences, such as shoplifting and anti-social behaviour, and catching criminals in their areas.
It is also expected that, as part of the changes announced on Monday, the government will cut the overall number of forces in Britain in a move to save money and reduce crime.
(Reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Joe Bavier)
The National Crime Agency (NCA) is a UK law enforcement agency that tackles serious and organized crime, including drug trafficking and human trafficking.
Organized crime involves criminal organizations that engage in illegal activities for profit, often using violence and corruption.
Fraud is the act of deceiving someone for personal gain, often involving financial transactions or misrepresentation.
Local policing refers to law enforcement services provided by police forces at the community level, focusing on everyday crimes and public safety.
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