Policing Reform and Federal Oversight in the British Isles

Issued by: British Democratic Alliance Policy Group
Date: May 2025
Status: Draft for Consultation

  1. Executive Summary
    Policing is a cornerstone of any functioning society. While we are indebted to the dedication of officers across the British Isles, the current model of policing is outdated, fragmented, and inconsistently overseen. This policy sets out a vision for modern, accountable, regionally administered policing underpinned by a robust and independent federal oversight framework. It aims to rebalance local policing priorities with national responsibilities, restore public trust through transparency, and create a consistent national standard of conduct and service delivery.
  2. A New Regional Structure for Policing

The British Democratic Alliance proposes reducing the number of police forces across the British Isles by consolidating them to match new administrative regions:

  • England will be divided into 5 to 7 administrative regions, each with a single regional police force.
  • Wales will be encouraged to adopt a two-region model, and Scotland a four-region model, though this will be by invitation, not imposition.
  • Each region will be responsible for the administration and funding of their police forces, which will remain publicly accountable to their respective regional authorities.
  • The number of frontline officers will not be reduced. Only management and command structures will be streamlined.
  1. Disarmament and Community Policing
  • Routine arming of police will cease outside of tasers and pepper spray for regional forces.
  • A legal requirement will be introduced mandating that every community with a population of 250 or more must have a Police Officer living within or permanently stationed in the community.
  • Officers in smaller communities will serve several nearby villages or hamlets.
  • These officers will be truly embedded, fulfilling the original vision of local, preventative, community-first policing.
  1. National Federal Policing Divisions

A Federal Police Service will be established with exclusive jurisdiction over the following areas:

  • Roads Policing: All motorways, A roads and major arterial routes between towns.
  • Homicide and Suspicious Deaths: All suspected homicides and suspicious deaths, including attempted murder.
  • Terrorism: Including prevention, response, and counter-terror intelligence operations.
  • Human Trafficking and Slavery: Dedicated units to investigate cross-border or organised criminal activity relating to trafficking.
  • Financial Conduct: Oversight of both public sector and high-value private sector financial irregularities. This unit will review contracts and audit integrity.

All Federal Police Officers will be armed with tasers, pepper spray and a sidearm. Specialist units will carry additional arms where necessary.

  1. Policing Standards and Oversight

There has been a systematic failure of internal policing oversight. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has been too limited in scope and resource. Reforms will include:

  • Renaming and expanding the IOPC into a new Federal Authority for Public Conduct (FAPC).
  • All complaints, whether by the public or internal whistleblowers, will automatically be investigated.
  • The FAPC will be expanded to cover all public service misconduct, including all Government officials, representatives, civil servants, security staff, Fire and health service employees, and contractors employed by the state.
  • The FAPC will have binding powers, including the ability to summarily dismiss staff found guilty of gross misconduct or criminal behaviour.
  • Severe penalties will be introduced for obstructing investigations.
  1. Abolition of Community Support Officers
  • Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) and similar roles will be phased out.
  • All front-facing public order and enforcement duties will be performed by fully warranted officers.
  • Existing PCSOs may retrain or be redeployed to enforce traffic and parking regulations under specific, legally defined arrest powers, particularly where violence or threats are involved.
  1. Reinstating Police Control over Parking Enforcement
  • The Traffic Management Act 2004 removed parking enforcement from police oversight. This has led to inconsistent and often exploitative local enforcement.
  • Police will regain the responsibility for enforcing parking on public roads, creating consistency and fairness in enforcement.
  1. Mandatory Use of Body-Worn Cameras

To ensure transparency and accountability:

  • All operational officers, regardless of rank or role, will be required to wear body cameras.
  • Cameras must be recording at all times while on duty. Footage will automatically upload to secure servers under the jurisdiction of the FAPC.
  • Officers may trigger a five-minute pause function that disables video but continues to record audio, for bathroom breaks or changing. Misuse will constitute misconduct.
  1. Consolidation of National Policing Units

The following national forces will be merged or restructured:

  • British Transport Police (BTP) will become a division within the Federal Police, responsible for railways and transport hubs.
  • Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) and Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) will be amalgamated into the Military Police, under the Ministry of Defence.
  • Port Police, including the Port of Dover Police, will be incorporated into the BTP division of the Federal Police. All port and airport policing will fall under federal control.
  1. Funding and Constitutional Arrangements
  • England’s regional police forces will be funded by general taxation administered through regional authorities.
  • Wales and Scotland will be responsible for their own police funding from their devolved budgets should they opt into the reformed structure.
  • The Federal Police and FAPC will be funded by the Federal Government and answerable to a new Parliamentary Committee for Federal Oversight and Conduct.
  1. Conclusion

Policing must evolve to meet the expectations of a modern, democratic society. These reforms are not a rejection of the police, but a recognition that their structure, oversight, and community presence must change to restore public confidence and deliver justice effectively and fairly. The British Democratic Alliance is committed to upholding the rule of law while ensuring those who enforce it are held to the highest standards of public service.