Police and Crime Commissioners

PCCs were introduced by the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 and first elected in November 2012. There is one PCC for each of the 41 force areas in England and Wales that does not have mayoral governance. In London the Mayor holds equivalent powers through the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime; in Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire the elected mayor holds PCC powers following devolution deals in 2017 and 2021.

PCCs are elected by the public every four years. They are politicians, not police officers. They do not investigate crimes. They do not direct individual investigations. Two in five members of the public are unaware that PCCs exist. Election turnout has historically been below 25%.

• Appoint, suspend and dismiss the chief constable
• Set the police and crime plan for the force area
• Set the force budget and the local council tax precept
• Hold the chief constable to account publicly for delivery
• Publish an annual report on the exercise of their functions
• Commission services for victims and witnesses of crime
• Handle complaints about the chief constable, deputy chief constable and assistant chief constables
• Refer serious complaints about chief officers to the IOPC

The most important limit is the operational independence of the chief constable. The PCC cannot direct how specific crimes are investigated, cannot tell the chief constable to make a particular arrest, cannot instruct the force to prioritise specific offences, and cannot intervene in individual cases. If you contact your PCC about how the police have handled your case, the PCC can raise it as a governance matter but cannot direct the force to handle your case differently.

Complaints about the chief constable, deputy chief constable and assistant chief constables do not go to the force's PSD. They go to the PCC. The PCC assesses and decides how to handle. For serious complaints the PCC must refer to the IOPC. The IOPC can review the PCC's handling if the complainant is dissatisfied.

Each PCC is scrutinised by a Police and Crime Panel of locally elected councillors and independent members. The panel can veto an excessive proposed precept and the appointment of a chief constable. It cannot dismiss a PCC, PCCs can only be removed through recall or by the electorate at the next election.

On 13 November 2025 Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced PCC abolition at the end of the current term in May 2028, describing PCCs as a 'failed experiment'. Abolition is expected to save at least £100 million, with at least £20 million per year reinvested in neighbourhood policing. Formal legislation has not yet been tabled. PCCs continue to operate with their full powers until May 2028.

• Areas with elected mayors, PCC powers transfer to the mayor (around 13 mayors expected to hold PCC powers by 2028, covering 15 force areas)
• Areas without elected mayors, new Policing and Crime Boards bringing together council leaders and co-opted members, with a Policing and Crime Lead
• Wales, bespoke arrangements reflecting the devolved context, still being developed
• City of London, no change; governance remains with the City of London Corporation

An independent review of the optimal configuration of forces, which will consider mergers and structural changes, is expected to report in summer 2026.