The police and crime commissioners (PCC) of Kent, Sussex and Surrey have raised concerns about government plans to merge forces across the country.
On Monday, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told MPs the number of forces would be reduced from 43, with police chiefs calling for the creation of 12 much larger bodies.
Surrey PCC Lisa Townsend said it would be “a complete disaster” for the county, Kent’s Mathew Scott described the plan as “faceless and soulless”, while Sussex’s Katy Bourne raised concerns about putting power in the hands of too few people.
Mahmood told the House of Commons she also intends to make better use of technology – including the “largest-ever rollout of facial recognition”.
