The abolition of police and crime commissioners

There are currently 37 police and crime commissioners (PCCs), who set policing priorities and hold to account police forces across most of England and Wales. The last elections for these posts took place on 2 May 2024. 

Why are police and crime commissioners in the news?

On 13 November 2025 the government announced that PCCs will be abolished. ⁵⁰ Home Office, ‘Police and crime commissioners to be scrapped’, 13 November 2025, retrieved 13 November 2025, Police and crime commissioners to be scrapped - GOV.UK  The change is part of a wider series of reforms aimed at improving efficiency and raising standards within policing. The government argues abolishing PCCs will reduce bureaucracy, address low public engagement with the position and deliver cost savings of at least £100 million, which will be redirected into neighbourhood policing.  

Critics had argued that PCCs struggled to improve public trust or engagement, ⁵¹ BBC News, ‘Police and crime commissioners to be scrapped in England and Wales’, 13 November 2025, retrieved 13 November 2025  with the current government has argued that election turnout and public awareness have remained low, with two in five people unaware that PCCs exist. ⁵² Home Office, ‘Police and crime commissioners to be scrapped’, 13 November 2025, retrieved 13 November 2025, Police and crime commissioners to be scrapped - GOV.UK

In addition, the costs of PCCs have also been questioned, particularly within the context of stretched police budgets. ⁵³ BBC News, ‘Police and crime commissioners to be scrapped in England and Wales’, 13 November 2025, retrieved 13 November 2025  

Why were police and crime commissioners created?  

The role of police and crime commissioner was created by the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 to replace police authorities in England and Wales (except in London). This reform did not cover Scotland and Northern Ireland, where policing is devolved.

Introduced under the previous government, Tthis reform had been part of the Conservative Party’s manifesto since 2005. ⁵⁴ https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainers/police-crime-commissioners" \l "_ftn1" \o "  The stated aim was to strengthen local accountability and make police forces more responsive to local needs, responding to the fact that police authorities had been “invisible to the public”. ⁵⁵ https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainers/police-crime-commissioners" \l "_ftn2" \o "

What is the role of police and crime commissioner?

The three core functions of PCCs are to appoint the chief constable (and remove them, if necessary); to set the budget; and to set local policing priorities. PCCs have to swear an oath of impartiality when they are elected, and a Policing Protocol sets out that chief constables must remain operationally independent.

Under the terms of the 2011 Act, PCCs must:

• secure an efficient and effective police for their area
• appoint the Chief Constable, hold them to account, and if necessary dismiss them
• set the police and crime objectives for their area through a police and crime plan
• set the force budget and determine the precept [the amount people pay through council tax for policing]
• contribute to the national and international policing capabilities set out by the Home Secretary
• bring together community safety and criminal justice partners to make sure local priorities are joined up. ⁵⁶ https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainers/police-crime-commissioners" \l "_ftn3" \o "

Since PCCs were introduced, their remit has expanded to include responsibility for commissioning the majority of victims’ services and in England, PCCs have the ability to take on governance of the local fire and rescue service. This has been implemented in Staffordshire, Essex, Northamptonshire, and Cumbria where there are ‘police, fire and crime commissioners’.  

These commissioners have responsibility for setting fire and rescue objectives through their area, appointing the chief fire officer (and again removing them, if necessary), and setting the service budget.

In Wales, fire and rescue services, unlike policing, have been devolved. Fire and rescue services therefore remain as separate bodies. 

What will happen to the functions of police and crime commissioners?

In England, the functions of PCCs will be absorbed by regional mayors wherever possible. ⁵⁷ Home Office, ‘Police and crime commissioners to be scrapped’, 13 November 2025, retrieved 13 November 2025, Police and crime commissioners to be scrapped - GOV.UK  In areas where powers cannot be transferred to mayors, new policing and crime boards will be established, which will bring together council leaders to oversee the police force in their area. ⁵⁸ House of Commons, ‘Police Reform’, 13 November 2025, retrieved 13 November 2025, Police Reform - Hansard - UK Parliament  If mayors are within the boundaries of a police force they will also be invited to the board.  ⁵⁹ House of Commons, ‘Police Reform’, 13 November 2025, retrieved 13 November 2025, Police Reform - Hansard - UK Parliament  The government argues this integration will allow crime cutting measures will be considered as part of wider public services, such as health and education.  

In Wales, ministers have acknowledged the country’s unique devolved governance arrangements, and have promised to work with the Welsh government to identify alternative accountability mechanisms. ⁶⁰ Home Office, ‘Police and crime commissioners to be scrapped’, 13 November 2025, retrieved 13 November 2025, Police and crime commissioners to be scrapped - GOV.UK

These changes will not affect the City of London police, whose governance will remain with the City of London Corporation. ⁶¹ House of Commons, ‘Police Reform’, 13 November 2025, retrieved 13 November 2025, Police Reform - Hansard - UK Parliament

This new model will be implemented at the end of the next electoral cycle in 2028, with PCCs continuing to operate until then. ⁶² Home Office, ‘Police and crime commissioners to be scrapped’, 13 November 2025, retrieved 13 November 2025, Police and crime commissioners to be scrapped - GOV.UK

Which mayors have the functions of police and crime commissioners?  

The mayor of London has held equivalent powers over policing in London since the role was established in 2000 – before the creation of police and crime commissioners. Since then, the functions of PCCs were transferred to the mayors of Greater Manchester (in 2017) and West Yorkshire (in 2021) when their roles were created.

In May 2024, the powers of the police and crime commissioner were merged with the existing role of the mayor of South Yorkshire and the new post of mayor of North Yorkshire. Plans to merge the powers in the West Midlands did not go ahead after a judicial review determined that the Home Office had provided insufficient information when consulting on the plans. ⁶³ West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, ‘PCC Statement: Judicial Review: Home Secretary’s decision to abolish PCC role was unlawful’, 18 March 2024, retrieved 5 April 2024, www.westmidlands-pcc.gov.uk/pcc-statement-judicial-review-home-secretarys-decision-to-abolish-pcc-role-was-unlawful   

In the 2022 Levelling Up white paper, the Conservative government set out a preference for merging the PCC role with directly-elected mayors in areas where the boundaries of the police area aligns with the mayoral area. The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, published in July 2025, goes further – making mayors responsible for PCC and Fire and Rescue Authorities by default when geographies align. It also set out the possibility of a single mayor taking on PCC and Fire and Rescue Authority responsibility across two or more authorities, where boundaries align. The bill also requires mayors of the four combined authorities currently exercising PCC powers to appoint a person as the deputy mayor for policing and crime for the area.

What is the party affiliation of the police and crime commissioners?

In the May 2024 elections, 19 Conservative, 17 Labour and one Plaid Cymru police and crime commissioners were elected. Labour was the only party to make gains in the election – taking 10 PCCs from the Conservatives. In five police force areas, the powers of the PCC are held by the mayor – all of which were also up for election and won by Labour candidates.   

mbers or chairs of the police authorities. ⁶⁴ Gardland J and Terry C, How not to run an election The Police & Crime Commissioner Elections, Electoral Reform Society, 15 November 2012, www.electoral-reform.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/2012-England-and-Wales-Police-Crime-Commissioner-Elections.pdf

No independent PCCs were elected in 2024 or 2021. By comparison, when the elections were first held in 2012, 12 independent PCCs were elected and in 2016 three were elected. All the independent candidates that were previously elected had prior experience working in the criminal justice system, as magistrates, police officers or former members or chairs of the police authorities.[4]

How are police and crime commissioners held accountable?

PCCs are held to account through elections and by police and crime panels. PCCs are directly elected, with elections taking place every four years. However, turnout in the 2024 elections averaged 23.2% - the lowest since PCCs were established.xiv PCCs are also scrutinised by police and crime panels (PCPs). In England, PCPs are made up of a minimum of 10 representatives from the local authorities in the force area. In Wales, PCPs are established by and answerable to the home secretary. Councils in Wales propose nominations to the host authority of the panel, with nominees chosen and appointed by the home secretary. ⁶⁷ House of Commons Library, ‘Police and Crime Commissioners’, 9 October 2024, https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN06104/SN06104.pdf   

How are police and crime commissioners funded?

Police and crime commissioners are responsible for allocating the overall police force’s budget. They decide how to allocate funding between the chief officer (who runs the police force), their own office, and other responsibilities.  

The funding allocated by PCCs comes from a combination of the Home Office’s police grant and local funding through council tax precepts. In 2025/26 the aggregate Home Office police grant across England and Wales amounted to £10.1bn. ⁶⁸ Home Office, ‘Police Grant Report (England and Wales 2025-26’, January 2025, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/provisional-police-grant-report-2025-to-2026/provisional-police-grants-in-england-and-wales-2025-to-2026-a… xviiThis includes a specific ‘top-up grant’ for the PCCs in Wales that ensures they receive the same change in the main police grant as PCCs in England, alongside grants from the Welsh government. In addition to the central grant, the Home Office can reallocate funding for national policing priorities throughout the year.

Funding from the police ‘precept’ component of local council tax accounted for 34% of all funding allocated by PCCs in 2023/24, although this varies across England and Wales. The level of the precept is now set by the PCCs or by mayors if they have taken on PCC responsibilities, subject to limits set by the Home Secretary and approval by the police and crime panels.