Police Officers to Require Renewable Work Licence Under Major Reforms

Home Secretary to announce ‘biggest shake-up to policing in decades’ with mandatory Licence to Practise
Every police officer in England and Wales will be required to hold a renewable work licence under reforms to be announced by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood on Monday.
The new requirement, described by the Home Office as the biggest shake-up to policing in decades, will see officers maintain a “Licence to Practise” throughout their career rather than obtaining a one-off qualification.
The reforms are designed to ensure officers develop new skills as criminal techniques advance, with explicit emphasis on standards in tackling violence against women and girls and on neighbourhood policing.
Officers who fail to reach the required standard when applying for or renewing the licence will be given opportunities to improve. However, those who do not meet the standard after these attempts will be dismissed from the police.
Crime and policing minister Sarah Jones said: “Every police officer needs to remain match fit to protect their communities. As crime evolves, we expect police to evolve more quickly.”
She added that the Licence to Practise will equip every officer with the skills and capabilities to do the job, “whether new to the force or a policing veteran.” Under these reforms, Ms Jones stated, police forces will catch more criminals and protect their local communities.
According to the Home Office, the plans have been drawn up by examining other professions where licences to practise are already standard, including law and medicine.
The white paper setting out the programme is titled “From local to national: a new model for policing” and will commit to implementing the reforms in phases rather than all at once.
The Home Office has said this package of changes constitutes the largest overhaul of policing structures and standards in many years.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​