Statement on the future of PCCs
Across the country, PCCs are delivering better scrutiny of police forces. Day by day they are building the strongest possible partnerships between police and the agencies and volunteers who work to keep communities safe.
Police and Crime Commissioners are elected by local people and are closely in touch with them. They will be directly answerable to local electors at the ballot box in exactly the same fashion as MPs.
It would be a backward step to return to the era of invisible, unelected police authorities during which so many failures of police leadership occurred without any meaningful oversight.
There has been legitimate focus on the terrible failures in Rotherham: failures of the council, of the police, of social care and of the PCC. The people of South Yorkshire will now get the chance to elect a new PCC to hold their police force to account and to serve and protect victims.
The APCC recognises that the legislation surrounding the election and oversight of PCCs can be improved, and is developing proposals for ensuring these issues are addressed. All PCCs are committed to working with this government and with the government following the General Election to ensure that victims are supported, communities are kept safe, and most importantly that police forces are challenged and supported to transform into the modern efficient organisations they need to be.
Nick Alston, APCC Chairman on behalf of the APCC Board
The members of the APCC Board are:
Nick Alston, Essex
Julia Mulligan, North Yorkshire
Ron Ball, Warwickshire
Ian Johnston, Gwent
Tony Lloyd, Greater Manchester
Vera Baird QC, Northumbria
Simon Duckworth, City of London