# Met chief reveals eight police forces carried out no ‘critical’ undercover work needed to tackle paedophiles and drug dealers in the past 12 months

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/met-chief-reveals-eight-police-forces-carried-out-no-critical-undercover-work-needed-to-tackle-paedophiles-and-drug-dealers-in-the-past-12-months/
- Published: 2026-11-09T00:10:45+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-09T00:20:40+00:00
- Original publisher: Daily Mail (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16275879/Met-chief-reveals-eight-police-forces-carried-no-critical-undercover-work-needed-tackle-paedophiles-drug-dealers-past-12-months.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
- Topics: Health, Medicine, World

## Key points

- Eight forces carried out no undercover investigations last year.
- Rowley warned covert policing skills could be lost.
- Proposed reforms include a national service and larger regional forces.

## Summary

Eight police forces in England and Wales carried out no undercover investigations in the past year, prompting concern from Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley that some forces could lose the ability to use covert tactics. He said undercover officers are important for tackling crimes including child sexual abuse and drug dealing, and questioned whether the capability is available wherever it is needed.

Rowley did not identify the eight forces among England and Wales’s 43 constabularies. He and other police chiefs support reforms that would create a National Police Service for the most serious and complex crime, alongside up to ten larger regional forces and local policing commands. The reforms are estimated to cost about £2 billion; Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has said a national service could save £350 million for frontline policing.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.