Few will mourn the loss of Police and Crime Commissioners following the news that the government intends their abolition in 2028. An unloved part of our democratic settlement, many of those elected as PCCs failed to capture the public’s interest in the way that was intended when Theresa May as Home Secretary legislated for their creation in 2011.

PCCs were a valiant, but ultimately poorly implemented, attempt to hold Chief Constables to account for fighting crime

But in the rush to celebrate their demise – and in building what replaces them – we should not forget their original purpose: to expose chief constables from behind the shroud of accountability which they operate, and to increase the democratic connection between police forces and the public they serve.

It was, after all, whe

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