Police and crime commissioners

Police and crime commissioners are elected by the public to ensure the policing needs of communities are met as effectively as possible and to oversee how crime is tackled in your police force area.

About Police and Crime Commissioners, Police, Fire, and Crime Commissioners, and Mayors with PCC or equivalent functions.

Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) ensure the policing needs of your community are met as effectively as possible and oversee how crime is tackled in your area.

PCCs

Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) are elected to hold your police force to account for delivering the kind of policing you want to see. PCCs are responsible for the totality of policing in their force area and aim to cut crime and deliver an effective and efficient police service. PCCs bring a public voice to policing and they do this by:

  • Engaging with the public and victims of crime to help set police and crime plans;
  • Ensuring the police force budget is spent where it matters most; and
  • Appointing the chief constable, holding them to account for delivery of their objectives, and if necessary, dismissing them.

Work with others

PCCs also work with your council and other organisations to promote and enable joined up working on community safety and criminal justice. As directly elected individuals, they provide opportunities for greater collaboration and effective scrutiny of public services. In doing so, PCCs also have regard to national cross border threats, and ensure there is an effective policing response.

The PCC does not “run” the police force. Chief Constables continue to be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the police, but they are accountable to the public via the PCC.

Represent the entire community

PCCs are required to swear an oath of impartiality when they are elected to office. The oath is designed so that they can publicly set out their commitment to: serve all of the people in their Police Force Area; act with integrity and diligence; give a voice to the public; act with transparency so that they may be effectively held to account; and not interfere with the operational independence of police officers.

PFCCs

Police, Fire and Crime Commissioners (PFCCs) will be elected in Cumbria, Essex, Staffordshire and Northamptonshire to hold the police force to account for delivering the kind of policing you want to see. In addition to their role overseeing the police, a PFCC is also the Fire and Rescue Authority (FRA) for their area. PFCCs bring a public voice to policing and the fire and rescue service and they do this by:

  • engaging with the public and victims of crime to help set police and crime plans;
  • setting the fire and rescue objectives for their area through a fire and rescue plan;
  • ensuring the police force and fire and rescue service budgets are spent where it matters most; and
  • appointing the chief constable and chief fire officer, holding them to account for delivery of their objectives and if necessary, dismissing them.

The PFCC does not “run” the police force or the fire service. Chief Constables and Chief Fire Officers continue to be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the police force and fire service respectively, but they are accountable to the public via the PFCC.

With a single directly elected individual overseeing both police and fire and rescue services, there are greater opportunities for blue light collaboration.

Combined Authority Mayors

Combined authority mayors with PCC functions will be elected in Greater Manchester, York and North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, and West Yorkshire to hold the police force to account for delivering the kind of policing you want to see. The functions that Combined Authority Mayors exercise in relation to policing are the same as in Police Force Areas where PCCs are elected, and they are accountable to the public at the ballot box in the same way that PCCs are in other Police Force Areas.

Additionally, the Mayor of Greater Manchester exercises Fire and Rescue Authority (FRA) functions, and from May 2024, the first Mayor of York and North Yorkshire will do so also.

Mayor of London

A Mayor will be elected in London who exercises functions equivalent to a PCC and is responsible for holding the police force to account for delivering the kind of policing you want to see. The functions that the Mayor of London exercises in relation to policing are equivalent to Police Force Areas where PCCs are elected, and the Mayor is accountable to the public at the ballot box in the same way that PCCs are in other Police Force Areas.