What does the Police and Crime Commissioner do?
The role of Derbyshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) is designed to bring communities and the police closer together. It is about holding the police force to account.
The Commissioner is elected as the ‘voice of the people’ that aims to improve community engagement and deliver a more effective policing service.
Derbyshire’s PCC has responsibility for policing throughout the county, which includes the city, and for holding Chief Constable Rachel Swann to account for its performance. The Chief Constable will, however, retain operational independence.
Part and parcel of the PCC’s role is working with community safety partnerships, local authorities and the local criminal justice board in their joint efforts to prevent and reduce crime.
Getting down to work
The Commissioner’s earliest and most urgent tasks include setting objectives to be achieved during their time in office. To do this they must publish a Police and Crime Plan in which these objectives are set out. In February every year, they will set the precept, which is the portion of funding for policing taken from Council Tax.
The Commissioner will make visits to a wide range of communities throughout Derbyshire to hear at first hand their views about policing and community safety.
Listening to you
Listening to You – the Commissioner, representatives from the office and from Derbyshire Constabulary go out to as many venues in Derbyshire as possible to consult with the public and gather opinions on a wide range of policing issues.
Commissioner’s Decisions
Decisions made by the Commissioner during the term of office are published on the public information page. Click to go to the PCC Decision Making page.
Background to the Commissioner’s role
Changes to the Police governance structure were approved in September 2011 when the Coalition Government passed the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act.
This meant that from November 2012, Police Authorities would cease to exist and be replaced with directly-elected Police and Crime Commissioners. Find out more about the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act.