Plans for national force to take over terrorism policing

Plans for a new national body to lead the fight against terrorism and serious organised crime are being drawn up, as police chiefs consider the biggest overhaul of British policing since the 1960s.

- Vikram Dodd

The proposal is for counterterrorism policing units to gain independence from local forces across the UK and become part of a single force, sitting in a new national centre for policing.

Counter-terrorism policing (CTP) is currently headquartered within London's Metropolitan police, with its head appointed by the Met commissioner.

The plans are being devised for a Home Office white paper expected later this year that will herald radical policing changes.

The proposals are a result of mounting concerns that the UK policing system - in which 45 local forces sometimes cooperate on national issues can no longer match societal changes and the nature of crime, which is increasingly national or international.

For counter-terrorism policing specifically, one hoped-for advantage is a boost in recruitment, which would give it a more stable workforce and improve its ability to fight violent extremism and state-sponsored espionage.

The proposals are being drawn up by a special working group called the joint reform team, which includes the National Police Chiefs' Council the body representing police chiefs across the UK.

They will sit with senior civil servants as well as His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary, the College of Policing and elected police and crime commissioners.