The job of the Police and Crime Commissioner is to ensure the policing needs of their communities are met as effectively as possible, bringing communities closer to the police, building confidence in the system and restoring trust.
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Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) give the public a voice at the highest level and give the public the ability to ensure their police are accountable.
Duties
These will include setting the priorities for Leicestershire Police, responding to the needs of communities, setting the budget for local policing, ensuring that local and national priorities are suitably resourced and monitoring the local performance of the force. Examples can be found below:
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Hold the Chief Constable to account for the performance of Leicestershire Police
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Set out a five year Police and Crime Plan, which can be refreshed every year.
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Set the amount of Council Tax local people will pay towards policing
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Set the Annual Budget for policing in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR)
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Present a budget to the Police and Crime Panel for scrutiny. The Police and Crime Panel have the authority to veto the proposed amount local people will pay towards policing (known as the Precept).
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Attend the Police and Crime Panel meetings to answer questions and explain decisions
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Regularly consult and involve the public and have regard to local authority priorities
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Provide Community Safety Grants to individuals and organisations
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Ensure victims and the most vulnerable are consulted
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Publish an Annual Report
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Cooperate with Partners to ensure an efficient and effective Criminal Justice system
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Ensure Leicestershire Police are Value for Money
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Appoint, and if necessary dismiss, the Chief Constable
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It is not for the PCC to tell the Force how to do their job. Legislation continues to protect the operational independence of the police by making it clear that the chief constable retains direction and control of their officers and staff. The operations of the police will not be politicised; who is arrested and how investigations work will not become political decisions.
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Impartiality
When a Police and Crime Commissioner takes up office they swear an oath of impartiality. The swearing of an oath is an important symbol of impartiality, emphasising both the significance of this new role in local communities and that PCCs are there to serve the people, not a political party or any one section of their electorate.
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National responsibilities and local priorities
A Police and Crime Commissioner is responsible for the full range of policing work, including national responsibilities and local priorities.
In July 2012, the Home Secretary issued the Strategic Policing Requirement (SPR) this was updated in 2015 and again in 2023. Police and Crime Commissioners and Chief Constables must consider the SPR when carrying out their functions.
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The 2023 version introduces violence against women and girls as an additional national threat, and reaffirms the validity of the existing threats.
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The national threats set out in the SPR are:
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violence against women and girls
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terrorism
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serious and organised crime
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a national cyber incident
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child sexual abuse
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public disorder
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civil emergencies
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The inclusion of violence against women and girls as a national threat sets clear expectations for:
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local and regional police capabilities to tackle violence against women and girls
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how local forces work with others, including collaborating with other agencies
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Other changes include:
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a more detailed description of how threats should be tackled by police forces
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strengthened governance and assurance arrangements, including a requirement for more distinct references to SPR in police and crime plans
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an enhanced serious and organised crime section, to ensure prominence for crime types such as fraud and organised immigration crime
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