Police and crime commissioners are ‘deeply disappointed’ by the Labour government announcement of abolition, the chair of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) has said.
She is Emily Spurrell, the Labour PCC for Merseyside. She said: “For more than a decade, directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners have transformed policing accountability and delivered essential support services for victims of crime. Having a single, visible local leader – answerable to the public – has improved scrutiny and transparency, ensuring policing delivers on the issues that matter most to local communities.
“Abolishing PCCs now, without any consultation, as policing faces a crisis of public trust and confidence and as it is about to be handed a much stronger national centre, risks creating a dangerous accountability vacuum. Many of today’s flagship government missions – supporting victims, working with local partners to prevent crime, tackling violence against women and girls – originated with and are delivered by PCCs, reflecting the priorities of our communities.
“Whatever follows in our place must be rooted in local and national accountability, clear and identifiable leadership and connected to local communities. The public deserve nothing less.
“PCCs have worked hand-in-hand with the Home Office and operational policing to shape a police service fit for the future and confront policing’s biggest challenges. We remain committed to ensuring that public accountability remains at the heart of police reform.“
Home Secretary
In the House of Commons, Home Office policing minister was careful to separate praise for the persons of PCCs from the position, saying PCCs ‘have done a really good job. It is the role and the elected function that is not working’. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood described PCCs – first elected in 2012, set up by the Conservative-led Coalition Government – as ‘a failed experiment’. She said: “I will introduce new reforms so police are accountable to their local mayoralties or local councils. The savings will fund more neighbourhood police on the beat across the country, fighting crime and protecting our communities. I would like to recognise the efforts of all current and former police and crime commissioners, and thank them. These individuals served their communities and will continue to do so until they have completed their current terms.”
As that implies, PCCs will come to an end in May 2028. What’s proposed in the place of PCCs is partly a return to the pre-2012 oversight of police by local government; elected mayors in cities, as already happens in some cities such as London and Manchester, will take on the PCC role.
Reasons
As for why Labour made the decision, the Home Office pointed to a forthcoming Police Reform White Paper; a low turn-out at the elections for PCCs (once every four years); and savings, claiming £100m.
Parties
In the House of Commons, responding to a statement by Home office minister Sarah Jones, Shadow Home Secretary and former Home Office minister Chris Philp described it as ‘tinkering around the edges from a Government who are failing on crime and policing’. For the Liberal Democrats (whose 2024 election manifesto called for the abolition) Ben Maguire welcomed the statement. Speaking outside the Commons, Home Affairs Spokesperson Max Wilkinson, while also welcoming the news, said that ‘giving PCC powers to Mayors, who have dubious democratic mandates and little scrutiny, is not the way to bring this failed Conservative experiment to an end’. For the Commons debate visit Hansard.
Police view
Gavin Stephens, chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), said: “Democratic accountability of operationally independent policing is essential. Bringing strong, integrated local leadership and the voice of communities into our service is a vitally important part of policing by consent. Chief officers will always support strong local scrutiny – and the most effective methods through which to deliver that.
“Strong governance of policing is a key part of the overall vision for wider police reform, to ensure that the service can respond quickly and consistently to criminal threats at the local, regional and national level. The Government has now set out proposals to move responsibility for police governance directly to elected mayors and policing and crime boards.
“As these proposals are developed, our focus remains on the same fundamentals; fighting crime; bringing offenders to justice; supporting victims; listening to our communities and working with local and national partners to prevent crime and protect the vulnerable, so people are safe and feel safe.”
See Professional Security Magazine editor Mark Rowe’s blog.
