Shabana Mahmood's policing reforms may reshape neighbourhood policing

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood unveiled a white paper proposing wide-ranging policing reforms, including greater use of AI and live facial recognition and a proposal to give the home secretary power to remove senior officers.

Shabana Mahmood, as home secretary, has set out a major programme of policing reform in a white paper presented to Parliament. She has already moved to stop policing "non-crime hate incidents" and frames the changes as a response to concerns about crime, technology and efficiency. The proposals cover technology, structure and accountability across policing in England and Wales. The plans are intended to be debated and will be subject to scrutiny over an extended timetable. Known details: - Ms Mahmood unveiled a white paper setting out wide-ranging reforms to policing in England and Wales. - The white paper removes the practice of policing "non-crime hate incidents," which the article says had caused confusion. - The proposals include greater use of technology, explicitly mentioning AI and live facial recognition. - The paper proposes abolishing elected police and crime commissioners and reshaping local governance arrangements. - It discusses reorganising police areas and expanding the role of a national force, noting there are currently 43 forces in England and Wales. - The white paper would give the home secretary a power to remove chief constables and other senior officers, a change the article says would require careful statutory process and legal recourse. Summary: The article says these reforms are substantial and likely to affect neighbourhood policing and local accountability. There is reported public scepticism and debate about whether reorganisations will reduce crime or create more bureaucracy. The proposals will be subject to scrutiny and a process that is set to run into the 2030s.