Essay 08· 11 min read· Updated 2 June 2026
Watching the Watchmen
Police and Crime Commissioners will be abolished in 2028. What replaces them is still being worked out, and victims' services hang in the balance.
Who commissions victims' services, who holds chief constables to account, and who a victim complains to when the new system fails them. This is a piece about accountability gaps, victims' services, and what happens when the oversight system changes and nobody has decided who protects victims in the transition.
- Governance
- PCCs
Policing in England and Wales operates through a three-tier accountability structure. The chief constable is responsible for operational decisions. The PCC is responsible for governance and strategy. The IOPC oversees the complaints system. In 2028, one tier of that structure disappears.
What PCCs actually do for victims
PCCs are the primary commissioners of victims' services in their area. They receive ring-fenced funding from the Ministry of Justice to commission stalking advocacy caseworkers, Independent Sexual Violence Advisors, domestic abuse support services, and in many areas the staffing of MARAC. These are not national services with national funding guaranteed regardless of local governance. They are commissioned locally, by a person who is directly elected and directly accountable. When that person disappears, those commissioning relationships do not automatically transfer.
Why they are being abolished
- Public awareness of PCCs is low, and turnout at PCC elections has been consistently poor
- The model creates perverse incentives around the appointment of chief constables
- Abolition aligns police governance with the government's broader devolution agenda
- The £20m annual saving can be redirected into front line policing (against a total budget of over £18bn)
“Abolishing the role does not abolish the need for someone to do what it was designed to do.”
- Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, 2026
What replaces them
The January 2026 white paper sets out two replacement structures. In areas with elected mayors, the PCC's functions transfer to the mayor, who delegates to an appointed deputy. In areas without mayors, a new Policing and Crime Board will be established, made up primarily of local council leaders, appointing a full-time Policing and Crime Lead. Wales has not decided what replaces PCCs. Four forces, four PCCs, and an entire national jurisdiction with no confirmed destination.
The IOPC NED model: what accountable oversight looks like
The IOPC is governed by a unitary board that includes six non-executive directors appointed through a formal public appointments process. Vacancies are advertised publicly. Applications are assessed against published criteria. Appointments are made by the Home Secretary. The register of interests is published and updated annually. Remuneration is fixed at £350 per day. This is not a perfect system, but it is a transparent one. Every element of it is on the public record.