Monthly Column by Beds Police and Crime Commissioner John Tizard: From local to national - a new model for policing
The government’s White Paper on police reform - “From local to national: a new model for policing” was published last month.
It is perhaps the boldest and most substantial set of reforms of policing for decades if not centuries.
In 1828, Sir Robert Peel said, “The time has come…when we may fairly pronounce that the country has outgrown her police institutions.”
In 2026, Shabana Mahmood, MP, the Home Secretary, echoed the words of the former Tory Prime Minister and founder of the modern police service.
Reform is necessary today. No public service can avoid reform if it is to meet the needs of citizens and meet contemporary challenges. This is not to argue that the police service is broken.
It is most certainly not especially in Bedfordshire. It is, however, to acknowledge that demands and expectations on the police service are changing. Criminals are evolving new ways of operating both locally and internationally.
The police service must respond and effectively tackle all forms of crime from the local to the international. The police service must be cost effective. It must have access to the best technology and skills. It must have the trust of the public.
There are many proposals that will benefit our police service and more importantly the residents and businesses across Bedfordshire. I, particularly, welcome the new police performance proposals – and not simply because I have been involved to some extent in their development though my national PCC portfolio. I also welcome the ideas to improve police professional standards. The commitment to invest in more technology, especially AI follows Bedfordshire Police’s pioneering lead.
The proposed national police service will brigade counter terrorism policing, the National Crime Bureau, the College of Policing and other national capabilities as well as national procurement and IT co-ordination. This is positive.
The idea that has attracted the most media attention is the creation of regionally based super police forces augmented by strong local community policing units. These proposals must be carefully assessed.
My tests for these specific proposals are – will it lead to more crime being prevented and solved; will the continuum of policing and integration of local and specialist police services be sustained; will there be local democratic accountability; and will public trust be enhanced?
My task is to stand for the interests of Bedfordshire as we enter a period of major change. My focus will be on using the reforms to make our county safer whilst not allowing the reform agenda divert us from that core mission.