The public in England and Wales are electing police and crime commissioners (PCCs) in their local police force areas for the third time as part of the elections being held on May 6. PCCs govern police forces and have a range of responsibilities, including the power to hire and fire the force’s chief constable, set the annual force budget, set local policing priorities in a police and crime plan, and commission related projects.
The role was established in the Social Responsibility and Police Reform Act 2011 and the first elections took place in 2012. The aim has been to improve the democratic accountability of police governance by letting voters choose these figures. But things haven’t always worked out that way.