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Police And Crime Commissioners ( Pcc ) Have On Police Accountability And Governance

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The focal point of this literature is the influence the Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC) have on police accountability and governance. The managerialism of policing in England and Wales is examined through the introduction of the PCC, and their responsibilities and powers for developing future strategies are assessed. The potential influence of the PCC on the role of the chief constable and their relationship is considered. This article will also reflect on the opportunities and challenges provided by the PCC and particularly the prospects of enhanced public accountability of policing as a result.
Police and Crime commissioners are selected to make sure local police are meeting the needs of the community. Their overriding principles …show more content…

The government became concerned about how effective police governance strategies were and started a process of consultation of police reform (Home Office, 2003). Following the deliberation under of 1962 Royal Commission on the police, accountability was distributed between the Home Office, local police authority, and chief constable. The 1996 Police Act, Police Reform Act 2002 and the Police and Magistrates’ Courts Act 1994 imposed the tripartite systems’ groundwork, however it was not always uncontentious (Mawby and Wright, 2005 pp. 4). Some argue that policing has become over centralised and distorted due to under governance, heavy with bureaucracy which prevents police from policing efficiently. The PCC want to implement greater local discretion and independence from central departments. From the election of the PCCs, more influential powers will radiate from the public, they expect that electoral success will be reflected in the local police activity; resulting in pressure being placed on the police from the PCC to implement the programmes and priorities that brought the PCC to election success (Loveday, 2013 pp. 23). Also, the media and local pressure groups may exert pressure on them to keep election promises.
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