The absence of explicit commitments to wildlife crime enforcement within the White Paper risks reinforcing this marginalisation.

The Overlooked Link to Domestic Abuse.

As a charity Naturewatch Foundation are campaigning to protect victims of domestic abuse and the animals that are often used as tools of control and coercion

Threats or acts of violence against animals are recognised indicators of coercive and controlling behaviour. When police lack training to recognise, record, and respond to animal abuse, safeguarding opportunities for human victims are missed.

This is not a niche concern. It sits squarely within public protection and early intervention.

Reform Must Be More Than Words
The Police Reform White Paper offers an opportunity for genuine improvement. But without clear mechanisms for specialist training, recorded competence, and accountability, particularly in areas such as wildlife crime and animal welfare, its impact will be limited.

Licensing officers who are not equipped to understand and enforce bespoke legislation risk creating the illusion of reform rather than its reality. Wildlife crime, animal abuse, and their links to wider criminality must be recognised as core policing responsibilities.

Policymakers must ensure that wildlife and animal protection are not sidelined, but embedded at the heart of modern, effective policing.