Police and Crime Commissioners
Elections to appoint the first Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) will take place across England and Wales on 15 November 2012.
This section of the website contains information on the support HMIC can provide if you’re interested in standing as a PCC, as well as outlining how we will work with successful candidates.
Read a message from Sir Denis O’Connor, HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary, to prospective PCC candidates.
“The introduction of Police and Crime Commissioners in November 2012 will mark a very significant change to the policing landscape in England and Wales, bringing directly elected democratic accountability to forces for the first time.
The Police Service has a long tradition of adapting to change and evolving its way of working in order to best serve the public. However, the scale of transformation, concurrent with austerity measures which are unlikely to be short-term, means that increasingly bold choices will need to be made.
HMIC’s reports and data may be of value to PCCs as they look to make these major decisions. Significant amounts of comparative and impartial information on each force’s crime-fighting capacity and efficiency are published on our website, together with thematic reports which form the bridge between local and national policing issues.
I hope this information is of use, both as you stand for election, and after you are in post.”
Opportunity for prospective PCC candidates to meet regional HMIs
This summer all prospective PCC candidates will have the opportunity to meet the HMI covering their force. These will be one-to-one meetings to allow prospective candidates to learn more about HMIC, our role and how we can support PCCs.
The dates and locations where HMIs will be available can be found – along with more information – in the meeting with HMIs section to the left. This contains contact details to arrange a meeting. Alternatively, you can email pcc@hmic.gsi.gov.uk.
Information and support HMIC can provide if you’re interested in standing as a PCC
HMIC publishes information on the whole breadth of policing activity, from national reports on public order policing or how each force balances its books, to year-by-year data on how many times shoplifting offences have been recorded in each area. We monitor force performance in order to encourage and drive local accountability and transparency.
Choose your force from the menu on the left to find:
- Up-to-date crime, anti-social behaviour (ASB), cost and workforce data in our interactive Crime and Policing Comparator – see how your force is performing, and how it compares with the rest of England and Wales.
- A review of how your police authority is preparing for the transition to PCCs.
- All the inspection reports for your force – from a review of the quality of its crime recording to an inspection of how it tackles ASB.
- Joint (with other criminal justice inspectorates) and other national reports where your force is mentioned.
There are also links through to your force’s website and other online channels, as well as to its pages on Crime Maps (where you can see month-by-month crime and ASB data at street level).
How we will work with elected PCCs
Use the links below to read more about:
- How HMIC will work with PCCs and the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (including our ongoing role in senior officer misconduct and dismissal processes, and how PCCs can bid to commission us to carry out a bespoke inspection on any aspect of policing in their area);
- Information on the joint work we conduct with other inspectorates, which can give a fuller picture of criminal justice in your area;
- HMIC’s history and how we work, including who your regional HMI is.
To note, PCC elections will not take place in London. Read more about why and how the capital is different in our Frequently Asked Questions section.