Shabana Mahmood to announce police overhaul – with 999 response targets and cuts to ‘red tape’

Home Secretary to Unveil Major Policing Overhaul, Including Emergency Response Time Targets

Monday 26 January 2026 

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is set to outline a wide-ranging overhaul of policing today, aimed at tackling what she has described as “unpunished” everyday crime and returning officers from desks to frontline duties.

In a statement expected to be delivered to MPs this afternoon, Ms Mahmood will detail proposals that include the previously announced creation of a National Police Service (NPS) to tackle serious and organised crime, alongside plans to reduce the number of police forces across England and Wales.

Under the proposals, police forces would be required to respond to emergency calls within 15 minutes in urban areas and within 20 minutes in rural areas. While many forces already operate similar targets, the Home Office said there is currently no effective mechanism to enforce or hold forces accountable for meeting them.

“People are reporting crimes and then waiting hours or even days for a response,” Ms Mahmood said. “By the time police arrive, the perpetrators and witnesses are long gone.”

She pledged to restore neighbourhood policing, increase visible patrols, and cut crime by removing “red tape” and “unnecessary administrative burdens” that prevent officers from spending time on the streets. The Home Secretary is also expected to announce changes to how police staffing levels are funded.

The announcement follows other measures unveiled over the weekend, including a £7m investment to combat shoplifting, with £5m allocated to Operational Opal, a national intelligence-sharing unit targeting organised retail crime.

Policing minister Sarah Jones said organised crime gangs had “taken advantage of defenceless retailers” for too long, adding: “My message to them is simple: there is nowhere to hide now.”

Opposition figures broadly welcomed the focus on neighbourhood policing but questioned the government’s record. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said the public wanted “more bobbies on the beat” but criticised Labour for what he described as a reduction in frontline officers and rising shoplifting figures.

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesperson Max Wilkinson also urged the government to deliver on its promises, saying officer numbers had fallen despite commitments to recruit more police.

“By March this year, we had 4,000 fewer officers than the year before,” he said. “If the government is serious about restoring neighbourhood policing, it must get more officers back onto our streets.”

The Home Secretary’s proposals are expected to spark significant debate as Parliament considers the future structure and accountability of policing across the country.