In 1962 the Royal Commission on the Police recommended changes that would not upset the partnership between central and local government in the administration of public services. In his dissent, Dr. Goodhart argued that a centrally-controlled police force, administered on a regional basis, was needed to address the sharp increase in crime. The Royal Commission may have correctly assessed the national mood in 1962, but many changes have occurred since then in the relationship between the central and local governments. In addition, historical precedent, organizational factors, costs, and political considerations all point to the desirability of a national force. In fact, local control is already a fiction rather than a fact. The development of a European community without formal internal frontiers and a tunnel connecting the United Kingdom with continental Europe in the 1990's also suggests the need to revisit Dr. Goodhart's arguments. The police already have a basic regional structure, and a national force would have many advantages operationally, financially, and democratically. Reference notes and appended figures.