Policing Reform 2026: What the Changes Mean for Data Governance, Security and Information Rights
News and information from the Advent IM team.
- by Olivia Lawlor-Blackburn
- General
Policing in England and Wales is on the cusp of its most significant transformation in decades. The Government’s January 2026 White Paper proposes structural changes, new performance expectations, shifts in governance, and a major push into digital technology, AI and national standardisation. While headlines focus on force mergers, new Mayoral oversight, or a National Police Service, one theme cuts across every reform area:
Information governance, data protection and security will become more, not less, central to effective policing.
For police forces, this is a moment of opportunity. Reform brings challenge, yes, but it also brings the chance to embed modern, resilient and trustworthy data practices that improve operational outcomes and public confidence. Below, we explore the key data‑related implications of reform and the practical steps forces can take to stay ahead.
1. Governance Is Changing And Data Accountability Must Change With It
Policing governance is set for wholesale redesign. PCCs are expected to be replaced by Mayors or Policing and Crime Boards from 2028, alongside moves toward fewer, larger forces and a future National Police Service. That means:
- new scrutiny expectations
- new reporting lines
- new data requirements to support governance
- new evidence expectations for audit, HMICFRS, ICO and local oversight
Forces that modernise their data governance and assurance frameworks now will navigate these transitions with far more confidence and less operational strain.
2. Performance Frameworks Will Depend on High‑Quality, Auditable Data
The proposed Police Performance Framework will hardwire data into operational accountability. Clear expectations such as answering 90% of 999 calls within 10 seconds, make performance data a critical control, not just a reporting function. Forces will need:
- consistent and shared data definitions
- robust data lineage, metadata and audit trails
- exception‑handling processes
- dashboards built on validated, “decision‑grade” information
Reform makes data quality a leadership concern, not just a technical one.
3. Vetting, Conduct and Integrity Controls Will Rely on Accurate, Well‑Governed Records
The Police (Vetting) Regulations 2025 and wider integrity reforms elevate workforce integrity to a core governance issue. That requires:
- reliable vetting and re‑vetting data
- defensible audit trails
- consistent recording of adverse information
- clear links between HR, PSD and information governance systems
Weak data here is no longer only a reputational risk, it is a structural governance failure.
4. Data Protection and Information Rights Are Under Sharper Scrutiny
With the Data Use and Access Act (DUAA) completing its phased implementation and the ICO already taking enforcement action over subject access backlogs, forces should expect rising scrutiny in areas such as:
- lawful basis and necessity for processing
- retention and disposal
- SAR and FOI timeliness
- data‑sharing agreements
- record retrieval and disclosure quality
As reform increases standardisation and national visibility, forces cannot credibly modernise while struggling with basic information rights compliance. This is an ideal time to stabilise processes, modernise records management, and strengthen the DPO function.
5. AI, Biometrics and Digital Evidence: Reform Accelerates Adoption, GRC Must Keep Pace
The White Paper anticipates major growth in:
- live facial recognition
- AI‑enabled analytics
- digital forensics capabilities
- national AI infrastructure
This introduces opportunities for harm reduction, victim protection and operational efficiency, but only where governance is mature. Forces will need:
- DPIAs and law‑enforcement processing assessments
- ethics reviews and testing
- explainability and oversight structures
- robust access logging and model‑change controls
- contract and supplier assurance for high‑risk technologies
Without these guardrails, AI adoption simply trades operational backlog for governance incidents.
6. Reform Itself Creates Data Risk and Opportunity
Force mergers, shared services, boundary changes and centralised national capabilities introduce well‑known transition risks:
- data migration challenges
- duplicated or missing controls
- system incompatibility
- unclear ownership
- cultural friction between teams
Handled poorly, these can undermine reform goals; handled well, they provide the rare chance to rationalise legacy systems, align data models, and modernise information governance from the ground up. This is where strong programme governance, risk mapping and independent assurance become essential.
Specialist GRC consultancies can play a critical role in helping police forces turn reform into a success story by providing expertise that strengthens governance, data integrity and organisational resilience. By supporting the redesign of governance structures, elevating data and information‑governance practices, assuring the safe deployment of AI, biometrics and digital technologies, and helping forces manage the complex risks introduced by structural and technological change, consultancies offer the frameworks and assurance needed to navigate reform confidently. They also help prepare forces for heightened scrutiny by developing evidence‑ready audit trails, harmonised reporting packs and coherent risk documentation, ensuring that forces not only meet new national expectations but do so with clarity, transparency and trust.
Policing reform should be seen not as a threat but as a powerful opportunity to build more resilient, data‑driven and trusted policing organisations. Forces that approach reform as a holistic governance, risk and compliance programme, rather than a narrow policy exercise, will be best placed to protect public trust, adopt new technologies safely, meet higher performance expectations, strengthen information‑rights compliance and modernise their operating models with reliable, well‑governed data at the core. And with the right expertise and support alongside them, forces can navigate this period of change with confidence, clarity and long‑term assurance.