Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.
The government has announced plans to eliminate the role of police and crime commissioners (PCCs) in England and Wales as a measure to save £100 million over the course of this parliamentary term. This change will take effect once the current commissioners’ mandates conclude in 2028. Rather than continuing with dedicated commissioners, the responsibilities will be transferred to either elected mayors or local council leaders.
The existing structure involves 41 commissioners, a system established 12 years ago during the tenure of former Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron. Despite the intention to ensure police forces remain accountable to the communities they serve, the system has faced significant criticism over its costs and the effectiveness of commissioner roles. Notably, government data suggests that fewer than 20% of voters are able to identify their PCC by name.
Policing Minister Sarah Jones spoke in the House of Commons, expressing dissatisfaction with the current arrangement. She stated that the system “has failed to live up to expectations” and “not delivered what it was set up to achieve.” Jones also highlighted that, despite efforts to increase visibility, public understanding of PCCs remains limited. She further explained that although PCCs have aimed to provide strong oversight and address crime, the current model actually “weakened local police accountability and has had perverse impacts on the recruitment of chief constables.”
PCCs hold several key duties, including setting annual budgets, appointing chief constables, creating five-year policing plans, and evaluating their force’s performance relative to these plans. According to ministers, scrapping this role will enable an annual reinvestment of an additional £20 million into frontline policing services
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.