About Us

Chief officers support the NPCC by taking responsibility for crime and policing issues from a national operational perspective. This work is managed through Chief Constables’ Council, which provides the key decision-making forum for operationally independent Chief Constables to meet and agree common approaches and coordinate national responses.

The decisions made by Chief Constables’ Council are progressed through 13 coordination committees:

• Counter Terrorism Policing Coordination Committee
• Crime Operations Coordination Committee
• Criminal Justice Coordination Committee
• Digital, Data and Technology Coordination Committee
• Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Coordination Committee
• Finance Coordination Committee
• International Coordination Committee
• Local Policing Coordination Committee
• Operations Coordination Committee
• Performance Management Coordination Committee
• Prevention Coordination Committee
• Science and Innovation Coordination Committee
• Workforce Coordination Committee

Each committee is led by a chief officer, supported by a number of portfolios also led by chief officers. For example, under the Crime Operations Coordination Committee there are individual leads for domestic abuse, violence against women and girls, drugs and cyber-crime. The outputs of committees are disseminated across forces for implementation at the discretion of each operationally independent Chief Constable.

The National Police Coordination Centre (NPoCC) provides support to forces across the United Kingdom, Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories. It is made up of a small number of officers and staff drawn on secondment from police forces across the UK, formed into two teams (Operations, and Strategic Intelligence and Briefing), which is funded by contributions from all forces.

In support of chief officers, the NPCC has a Strategic Hub. The hub proactively supports national leadership in policing, providing chief officers and NPCC leads with additional resources to progress policing priorities; collaborate across the policing system and communicate information, advise or make representation.

Aligned with the National Police Collaboration Agreement, the NPCC functions are:

• Coordination of national operations including defining, monitoring and testing force contributions to the Strategic Policing Requirement, working with the National Crime Agency (NCA) where appropriate.
• Command of counter-terrorism operations and delivery of counter-terrorist policing through the national network as set out in the National Counter Terrorism S22A Collaboration Agreement 2019.
• Coordination of the national police response to national emergencies and the mobilisation of resources across force borders and internationally.
• National operational implementation of standards and policy as set by the College of Policing and Government.
• Working with the College of Policing, development of joint national approaches on criminal justice, value for money, service transformation, information management, performance management and technology.
• Working with the College of Policing (where appropriate), in the development of joint national approaches to staff and human resource issues (including misconduct and discipline) in line with Chief Constables’ responsibilities as employers.

Why is the NPCC needed?

There are 45 police forces covering England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland as well as three specialist police forces: the British Transport Police; Ministry of Defence Police; and the Civil Nuclear Constabulary. Forces are led by Chief Constables who are operationally independent, meaning that they have the power to direct and control the officers and staff they employ to fight crime and keep people safe and secure according to local need.

Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) hold Chief Constables to account for delivering effective policing and managing resources. The College of Policing is a professional body that sets standards and develops those working in policing. The National Crime Agency works at a national and international level to combat serious organised crime.

Within this policing model, there is a need for police forces to work together to be effective. As some of the biggest threats we face in the UK, like terrorism and organised crime, are national and international this need has never been greater. Forces have a collective strength to tackle crime by joining up their operational response. Collaboration between forces on issues such as finance, technology and human resources helps to ensure consistent national approaches and can save money, which can be reinvested in improving policing for the public.

Do you have examples of what the NPCC does?

• The NPCC established Operation Talla to coordinate the national policing response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The aims of the operation were to preserve life, maintain law and order, and prevent crime; all while maintaining the core policing service during a period of uncertainty, and assisting colleagues in the NHS as they fought the worst effects of the pandemic.
• Twice a year, the NPCC works with police forces and partners to coordinate a national week of intensification around combating knife crime. This operation is known as Operation Sceptre, and sees thousands of knives and other dangerous weapons taken off our streets every year.
• Together with the College of Policing and with input from stakeholders, including the National Black Police Association (NBPA), the Independent Scrutiny and Oversight Board (ISOB) Chair, and the APCC, the NPCC has led on the creation and development of the Police Race Action Plan, which sets out the changes policing intends to achieve to improve outcomes for Black people working within or interacting with policing.

How is the NPCC different to from its predecessor ACPO?

In the past, the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) had a role in setting standards, policy and guidance for the service. This responsibility transferred to the College of Policing.

The NPCC enables independent Chief Constables and their forces to work together to improve policing for the public.

We coordinate the operational response across the service to the most serious threats, such as terrorism, organised crime and national emergencies. Working with the College of Policing, we implement standards and develop national approaches to finance, use of technology and human resources. The NPCC has set a plan of our priorities and what we intend to achieve, which will be updated annually.

The NPCC is funded by number of parties that includes Police and Crime Commissioners and has an independent governance structure that ensures accountability. It is hosted by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) rather than being a company limited by guarantee. While all chief officers have the opportunity to be involved in and shape the work of the NPCC, it is not a membership body in the traditional sense. National units are now be hosted by forces following a transparent selection process.

What is the legal status of the NPCC?

The NPCC is a collaboration body that enables independent Chief Constables and their forces to work together to improve policing for the public. The NPCC employs a Chair and a team to run and support its work.

Legally, the NPCC is a national unit hosted by the MPS.

A body bringing together chief officers to share ideas and drive improvements in policing has existed since the origins of policing. The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) was formed in 1948 and its structure and work developed in response to national policing needs.

In 2010, the Government announced a series of police reforms including local accountability through Police and Crime Commissioners, the creation of the National Crime Agency (NCA), and the College of Policing, a new professional body which took on responsibility for developing professional standards, guidance and training in policing.

In 2013, PCCs commissioned General Sir Nick Parker to review the service that ACPO provided and make recommendations about the requirements of a national policing body following the fundamental changes in policing.

In 2014, a group of chief officers and PCCs began working together to implement the Parker review’s recommendations and develop a modernised and simplified national body. Chief officers voted in support of the proposals developed by this group in July 2014. Chief Constable Sara Thornton was appointed to chair the NPCC in December 2014, and ACPO was closed down on 31 March 2015. The NPCC was formed on 1 April 2015.