London follows Washington’s lead: a British FBI to combat terrorism

A new police force the United Kingdom intends to establish… what will its missions be?

The UK Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, announced the creation of a national police force in the United Kingdom, tasked with missions similar to those of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, and responsible for handling investigations related to counterterrorism, fraud and crime that had previously been assigned to various agencies or local services.

This announcement comes as the Home Secretary prepares to present, on Monday, “the biggest reforms in policing since the establishment of police services 200 years ago,” according to a statement issued by the Home Office.

The missions of the new force

The new national police force will be responsible for tackling “serious and complex crime” and will bring together, within a single organization, the activities of existing agencies, such as the National Crime Agency and regional organized crime units.

The new service will also take over counterterrorism investigations currently led by the Metropolitan Police in London.

Quoted in the statement, Shabana Mahmood said: “The current policing model has been designed for the century ahead.”

She added: “Some local forces lack the skills or resources needed to confront complex modern crimes.”

Thanks to the creation of this new national police body, described as a “British FBI,” “local forces will be able to devote more time to tackling local crime, such as drug trafficking and shoplifting,” the minister confirmed.

The national police service will be headed by a National Police Commissioner, who will become the country’s highest-ranking police official.

The ministry did not disclose the number of officers who will make up this new force.

Shabana Mahmood is expected to present on Monday a white paper entitled “From Local to National: A New Policing Model,” as a “radical” reform plan.

Last Friday, the British government confirmed that Home Secretaries will soon be granted the authority to dismiss police officials in cases of “serious or repeated misconduct.”