Police and Crime Commissioners to Be Abolished in Major Shake-Up
In a significant shake-up of policing in England and Wales, the government has announced that police and crime commissioners, or PCCs, are set to be abolished. Introduced in 2012 under a Conservative government, PCCs were meant to make police forces more accountable to local communities. Each of the 43 police forces had an elected official responsible for setting budgets, appointing chief constables, and shaping policing priorities. However, the system has long faced criticism for being costly and largely unknown to the public, with less than 20% of people able to name their local commissioner.
The Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, described the PCC experiment as a “failed experiment” and said the upcoming reforms would make police accountable instead to local mayors or council leaders. She emphasized that the £100 million expected to be saved over this parliamentary term would be reinvested into front-line policing, with around £20 million going directly into neighbourhood policing, funding hundreds of extra officers on the beat. The next scheduled PCC elections in 2028 will be scrapped, signaling a decisive end to the model.
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Critics of PCCs have argued that while some commissioners performed well, too many were ineffective, interfering in ways that hindered police leadership rather than supporting it. Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, chairman of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, welcomed the announcement, suggesting that a move towards integrated local leadership could strengthen accountability and community engagement. Similarly, the Police Federation highlighted that the money spent on PCCs could better support experienced officers in the field.
However, the decision has been met with dismay from current PCCs. Alison Hernandez, Devon and Cornwall’s PCC, expressed shock at the announcement, describing it as sudden and made without consultation. Emily Spurrell, chair of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, warned that removing PCCs risks creating a “dangerous accountability vacuum,” arguing that the role had improved scrutiny and transparency, ensuring policing addressed local concerns effectively.
The abolition of PCCs also reflects broader changes in local governance, including the expansion of elected mayoralties. Labour’s government believes that central oversight, through mayors or councils, will allow policing to be more coordinated, especially as confidence in law enforcement has fallen and some forces are struggling to solve crimes effectively.
In short, the PCC era is coming to an end. Supporters of the change highlight potential savings and stronger police leadership, while opponents stress the loss of direct public accountability. Over the next few years, the system will shift, and communities across England and Wales will see policing oversight take on a very different form.
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