On 15 November next year, voters in South Wales, and across the rest of the country, will be visiting polling stations to elect the first ever Police and Crime Commissioner.
This Commissioner, or PCC as they are also referred to, will be responsible for representing everyone in South Wales in making sure the police provide the service that our communities require and demand.
Let us make no bones about it – this is a major change to the governance of policing and this person will be powerful and influential. It will affect everyone in South Wales, and we cannot underestimate that. It is their individual responsibility to make sure there is an effective and efficient police service in South Wales, and to hold the Chief Constable to account.
The PCCs list of responsibilities is vast. To name but a few, they will be able to hire and fire the Chief Constable, manage the £270million police budget in South Wales and set the police element of council tax, and set local policing priorities. To do all this, they will receive a payment of around £85,000 each year.
But who watches the watchdog?
Overall, the PCC will be held to account by the public and the ballot box after four years. On a more regular basis, however, the PCC will be scrutinised by a Police and Crime Panel, to be made up of Councillors and Independent Members. This Panel will have the power to veto the appointment of the Chief Constable and to veto the police budget and council tax precept level.
Sounds simple in theory, but the reality is different.
There are problems in Wales, following the Welsh Government’s decision not to pass a Legislative Consent Motion in May to allow Local Authorities to set up these Panels. As a result, there is a current tension between the Welsh Government, our local authorities and the Home Secretary as to how the Panels will be brought in.
The biggest problem for the introduction of the PCC, however, is the apparent lack of awareness and understanding by the public that this radical change is coming in. Little public information has been provided from Central Government, yet it is the public who will be voting and electing the Commissioner.
This could cause problems. An election in November has its own difficulties– will people go out and vote on a cold, wet November Thursday, especially for something they know little about? This could lead to single-issue candidates being elected, or someone with extremist views. This will have a detrimental effect on policing in South Wales, which the Police Authority, and its partners, have worked so hard to improve.
Over the past 17 years, since the current form of Police Authorities has been introduced, there has been a 34% reduction in crime. In 1995-96, there were 143,018 crimes, compared to the 93,789 crimes recorded in 2010-11. This has been as a result of the excellent work of police officers and staff across South Wales, but also because of the tough targets and work of the 19 Members of the Police Authority. Crime levels here are at their lowest for 25 years, and we want to make sure this continues when the PCC is elected in 12 months.
There is not denying that the election does provide an opportunity for local people to become more involved in policing. The Home Office wants to ensure that it isn’t only political parties who are represented on the ballot paper. They want to see independent people come forward for the election. Unfortunately, this could be costly for someone to do, requiring a deposit of £5,000, but it will be open for anyone to become involved. More information on how to be put up for election is available from the Electoral Commission.
It is no secret that we have been against these proposals since they were outlined last year. However, the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act is now in place. This clearly states that Police and Crime Commissioners will be elected on 15 November 2012, and that just one week later Police Authorities will be abolished.
A one-week transition between the current and new systems will be tough, but within South Wales we are already working hard to ensure that there is a smooth transition to the new regime. Our focus is to ensure the communities of South Wales will continue to receive an excellent service from the police during these changing and financially challenging times. Work is already being carried out to achieve this aim.
For more information on the transition work, click here.