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| Police and crime commissioners in England | |
|---|---|
| Name | Police and crime commissioners in England |
| Formation | November 2012 |
| Jurisdiction | England |
Police and crime commissioners in England are locally elected officials who oversee policing in English police areas, replacing police authorities and acting as the principal voice for policing priorities. Created in 2012, they connect local electorates, law enforcement leadership, and national institutions, shaping strategy, budgets, and accountability for territorial forces. The role interacts with multiple institutions across the United Kingdom, engaging with policing, criminal justice, and public safety stakeholders.
The office was created by the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 following proposals in the Conservative Party (UK) manifesto and debates involving figures such as Theresa May and David Cameron. Its inception replaced bodies including the Metropolitan Police Authority and county police authorities after pilot schemes and legislative scrutiny involving committees from House of Commons and House of Lords. The first elections in November 2012 featured candidates associated with Labour Party (UK), Conservative Party (UK), Liberal Democrats (UK), and independents, occurring against continuity of institutions like the Crown Prosecution Service and alongside reforms affecting the Ministry of Justice and coordination with Home Office (United Kingdom) policy.
Commissioners set the police and crime plan for each territorial force area and hold budgetary responsibility, engaging with entities such as the National Crime Agency, College of Policing, and local bodies like county councils in England and unitary authorities of England. They appoint, suspend, and remove chief constables, and are charged with commissioning victim services working with organisations such as Victim Support and partnerships with the Crown Prosecution Service. Commissioners may liaise with national actors like the Mayor of London where policing overlaps the Metropolitan Police Service and coordinate cross-border responses with agencies including National Police Chiefs' Council and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services.
Elections use the supplementary vote system in most contests, administered by local returning officers under legislation from the Electoral Commission (United Kingdom) and influenced by precedents from elections involving offices like Police and Crime Commissioner (Greater Manchester) or combined authority elections in regions such as Greater Manchester Combined Authority. Commissioners serve four-year terms, subject to by-elections and interim arrangements when vacancies occur, with rules shaped by the Representation of the People Act 1983 and oversight from bodies such as the Local Government Boundary Commission for England for area definitions. High-profile elections have featured candidates from Labour Party (UK), Conservative Party (UK), UK Independence Party, and notable independents linked to civic figures like former members of parliament and local mayors.
Statutory powers include setting strategic priorities, approving annual precepts in council tax alongside billing authorities in England, and collaborating with prosecutorial agencies like the Crown Prosecution Service and oversight bodies such as Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services. Accountability mechanisms include scrutiny panels formed under local arrangements with members drawn from district councils in England and borough councils of England, and judicial review via courts including the High Court of Justice when decisions are challenged. Commissioners interact with national policy through the Home Office (United Kingdom) and parliamentary scrutiny by committees like the Home Affairs Select Committee.
The statutory relationship with chief constables mirrors models elsewhere, requiring commissioners to balance strategic direction with operational independence adhered to by chief constables, as set out in guidance influenced by the College of Policing and jurisprudence from cases in the Court of Appeal (England and Wales). Tensions have arisen in areas overseen by forces such as the Metropolitan Police Service, Greater Manchester Police, and West Midlands Police, often mediated with input from regional bodies like combined authorities and national coordination from the National Police Chiefs' Council.
Criticisms have addressed low voter turnout reminiscent of debates around mayoral contests in London and referendums like the AV referendum 2011, alleged politicisation paralleling disputes in devolved administrations in Scotland and controversies involving appointments and dismissals drawing attention from media outlets and parliamentary inquiries. High-profile controversies involved disputes over procurement and staffing in forces such as Hampshire Constabulary, Greater Manchester Police, and West Yorkshire Police, prompting investigations by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services and legal challenges in the High Court of Justice.
Each territorial police area in England has an elected commissioner responsible for governance: examples include areas covered by City of London Police arrangements where the City of London Corporation retains unique oversight, the Metropolitan Police Service area subject to distinct arrangements with the Mayor of London, and county forces such as Cambridgeshire Constabulary, Humberside Police, Sussex Police, Durham Constabulary, Norfolk Constabulary, Essex Police, Kent Police, Lancashire Constabulary, and Northumbria Police. Commissioners often collaborate across regions through structures involving the National Police Chiefs' Council and combined authorities such as West Midlands Combined Authority and Greater Manchester Combined Authority for integrated service delivery.
Category:Law enforcement in England