WILTSHIRE’S Police and Crime Commissioner has warned that planned national police reforms risk stripping communities of their voice and redirecting funds away from frontline policing.

Yesterday, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced the largest reforms to policing since the service was founded two centuries ago.

They include force mergers, investing more than £140 million into state-of-the-art police technology, a senior national co-ordinator role for public order policing and faster response times.

PCC Philip Wilkinson said he supports parts of the Home Office white paper – ‘From local to national: a new model for policing’ – including standardised training, equipment and enhanced national capability for counter-terrorism and organised crime.

But he said the proposals to create large regional “super forces” and abolish PCCs would centralise power, undermine local accountability and threaten the community-based policing that residents rely on.

“Bigger isn’t always better – being better is better,” Mr Wilkinson said. “Creating large regional forces risks swallowing funds, stripping away local accountability and weakening the policing communities rely on.”

He pointed out that Wiltshire delivers strong policing with fewer resources than the national average, highlighting that smaller, connected forces can achieve more for less.

Mr Wilkinson also dismissed claims that abolishing PCCs would save money, warning that the reforms could actually increase costs while leaving local policing underfunded.

“Neighbourhood policing must stay local. It only works when shaped by communities and backed by genuine local accountability,” he said.

“The public deserves a say in their policing, and I will make sure their voice is heard.”

The PCC urged a phased, evidence-led approach that focuses on efficiency, leadership and national consistency, without undermining local services.

He added that residents want faster response times, more officers on the beat and better shared systems, but these come from proper investment, not removing local accountability.

The white paper has sparked debate nationwide over how to balance cost, efficiency and community engagement in policing.