Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) are to be abolished in England and Wales to save £100 million over the course of the parliamentary term, the Government has announced.
The Home Secretary called the system a “failed experiment” – and less than 20% of voters can nominate their PCC, the Home Office said.
The current system has 37 elected commissioners, introduced 12 years ago to improve police accountability. Their main responsibilities include establishing an annual budget, appointing police chiefs and developing a policing plan.
A PCC called the move “deeply” disappointing, and the shadow home secretary said the government was “tinkering around the edges” while “failing on crime and policing”.
When the commissioners’ term ends in 2028, the role will transfer to an elected mayor or council leaders.
Removing the role would allow an extra £20 million to be invested in frontline policing each year, the Home Office said, enough for 320 officers.
Although its stated aim was to make the forces more accountable to the areas they serve, the costs of the system and the effectiveness of the commissioners have long been criticized.
Police Minister Sarah Jones told the House of Commons on Thursday the model had “failed to meet expectations” and “failed to achieve what it was created to do”.
“Public understanding [of PCCs’ role] remains low despite efforts to improve their visibility,” she added.
Jones said PCCs had sought to provide strong oversight and combat crime, but the model “weakened local police accountability and had perverse impacts on the recruitment of police chiefs”.
In the absence of elected mayors in Wales, Jones said the UK government would “work with the Welsh Government… recognizing the unique nature of Welsh arrangements”.
Under the changes, measures to reduce crime would be “considered as part of wider public services”, including education and health. The Government would ensure that victim and witness support services currently provided by PCCs continue, the Home Office said.
In protest against the decision, Norfolk PCC Sarah Taylor resigned from the Labor Party, saying she was troubled by a “significant reduction in control and accountability that will result from this decision”.
However, the government had previously warned Taylor and his Suffolk counterpart Tim Passmore that their responsibilities would be taken over by new elected mayors.
Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood said the introduction of new reforms would make police accountable to local town halls or councils.
But abandoning the PCC “represents marginal tinkering by a government that is failing on crime and policing”, said shadow home secretary Chris Philp.
He cited rising crimes, including shoplifting, as well as warnings from police forces of cuts to frontline staff due to a funding shortfall.
Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Max Wilkinson called it a “huge” victory for the party, which has been calling for the PCC to be scrapped for years.
But he added that giving their powers to mayors “who have questionable democratic mandates and little control” was not the way to put an end to the “failed experiment of the Conservatives”.
PCCs were “deeply disappointed by this decision and the lack of commitment to us”, said Emily Spurrell, Merseyside PCC and chair of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners.
She argued the role had “improved oversight and transparency, ensuring the police respond to the issues that matter most to local communities”.
“Abolishing PCCs now, without any consultation, while the police face a crisis of public confidence… risks creating a dangerous accountability vacuum,” she said.
The Police Federation of England and Wales welcomed the announcement.
Chair Tiff Lynch said the “tens of millions of pounds” that PCCs cost should instead be used to fund the police service “with experienced officers who can afford to keep doing the job”.
The Home Office said the last elections for police and crime commissioners in 2024 cost at least £87 million, representing a significant portion of the expected savings from cutting the 37 posts.
Costs have not yet been finalized, a spokesperson said.
Police Minister Sarah Jones told the House of Commons that this money would be returned to the Treasury, while the running costs of the commissioners’ offices themselves would be retained by the Home Office and invested in policing.
The Home Office said this would allow £20 million to be reinvested each year during this parliamentary term, enough to fund 320 new police officers.
