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| South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner | |
|---|---|
| Post | Police and Crime Commissioner |
| Body | South Yorkshire |
| Incumbent | Alan Billings |
| Incumbentsince | 2014 |
| Style | Mr |
| Appointer | Electorate of South Yorkshire |
| Termlength | Four years |
| Precursor | South Yorkshire Police Authority |
| Formation | 2012 |
South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner
The South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner is the elected official responsible for strategic oversight of policing in Sheffield, Doncaster, Barnsley, and Rotherham. The office replaced the former South Yorkshire Police Authority after the Policing and Crime Act 2012 reforms that established police and crime commissioners across England and Wales. The commissioner liaises with South Yorkshire Police, regional bodies such as the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, national institutions like the Home Office and the College of Policing, and local councils including Sheffield City Council.
The post was created following the passage of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 and the implementation timetable set by the Home Secretary in the aftermath of debates in the Parliament of the United Kingdom about police governance. The position succeeded the elected and appointed members of the South Yorkshire Police Authority, which oversaw policing through the late 20th century alongside institutions such as the South Yorkshire County Council until its abolition in the 1980s under the Local Government Act 1985. Early controversies in South Yorkshire policing trace to events like the Hillsborough disaster and inquiries including the Hillsborough Independent Panel and the Inquest into the Hillsborough disaster, which shaped demands for transparency that influenced the commissioner model. National reviews such as the Leveson Inquiry and reports by the National Audit Office also informed the governance changes that produced the PCC role.
The commissioner is charged with setting the police and crime plan, appointing and dismissing the Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police, and holding the force to account through performance frameworks tied to standards from the Independent Office for Police Conduct and the Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services. The office negotiates precepts with local authorities including Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council and Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, commissions victim services working with organisations such as Victim Support and regional charitable partners, and represents South Yorkshire in national forums alongside the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners and PCCs from West Yorkshire and Humberside Police. It also engages with statutory partners like the Crown Prosecution Service and the National Crime Agency on cross-boundary issues such as human trafficking and serious organised crime referenced in reports by the Serious Organised Crime Agency.
Elections follow the schedule established by the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 with four-year terms and were first held in 2012; subsequent polls matched local election timetables disrupted by events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Candidates typically represent national parties including the Labour Party (UK), the Conservative Party (UK), the Liberal Democrats (UK), and smaller parties like UK Independence Party and Green Party of England and Wales. The commissioner is scrutinised by the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel, a body composed of councillors from Sheffield, Doncaster, Barnsley, and Rotherham plus independent members, and is subject to judicial review in the High Court of Justice and oversight from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman on maladministration complaints.
Notable officeholders have included candidates and incumbents tied to national figures and local leaders who previously served on the South Yorkshire Police Authority or in Sheffield City Council. Incumbents interact with senior policing figures such as the Chief Constable and national officials like successive Home Secretaries including Theresa May and Sajid Javid. Officeholders have sometimes been former civil servants, magistrates listed in the Judicial Appointments Commission records, or councillors with ties to parliamentary constituencies such as Sheffield Hallam and Doncaster North.
Commissioners set priorities addressing crimes listed by the Office for National Statistics and strategies promoted by the College of Policing including neighbourhood policing, counter-terrorism coordination with Counter Terrorism Policing, and initiatives on cybercrime aligned with the National Cyber Security Centre. Programs include victim support commissioning, youth diversion schemes liaising with Youth Justice Board for England and Wales and local statutory youth services, and road safety campaigns in partnership with Highways England and regional transport authorities. Commissioners also promote collaboration with neighbouring forces such as West Yorkshire Police and multi-agency task forces linked to the National Crime Agency to tackle organised crime and drug markets documented in National Crime Agency assessments.
The office has faced scrutiny over decisions intersecting with inquiries like the Hillsborough Independent Panel and the conduct of South Yorkshire Police during major incidents. Controversies have involved debates over transparency and accountability similar to critiques in cases reviewed by the Independent Office for Police Conduct and media investigations by organisations such as the BBC and the Guardian. Tensions have arisen between commissioners and chief constables, sometimes resulting in public disputes referenced in reports appearing in the High Court of Justice and examined by the Public Accounts Committee on governance and procurement. Criticism has also addressed precept rises debated at meetings of Sheffield City Council and other local authorities.
The commissioner's budget originates from the central grant administered by the Home Office combined with local council tax precepts set in consultation with councils including Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council, Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, and Sheffield City Council. Expenditure is monitored through audit by the National Audit Office and internal auditors following standards from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. Governance arrangements include the statutory Police and Crime Plan, contracts for commissioned services, and governance scrutiny by the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel, with legal oversight possible via the High Court of Justice for judicial review and the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman for complaints.