Plans to abolish PCCs across England and Wales from 2028 have prompted frustration from Merseyside’s Police and Crime Commissioner, with Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram saying she has “some justification” in feeling aggrieved by how the announcement was handled.
00:00For more than a decade, Police and Crime Commissioners have been the elected figures responsible for holding police forces to account across England and Wales.
00:10In Merseyside, that role is currently held by Emily Sporrell, who also chairs the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners.
00:15She's responsible for setting policing priorities for Merseyside Police, holding the Chief Constable to account and publishing the region's crime plan.
00:24Earlier this month, the government confirmed it intends to scrap PCCs from 2028.
00:30Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood described the system as a failed experiment and said that going forward, police forces would instead be accountable to local mayors or councils.
00:40According to Whitehall officials, the move could save around £100 million.
00:44Emily Sporrell said she's deeply disappointed by the decision.
00:48Mertra Mesti-Rotherham, who could be the person to take on policing powers in three years' time, told the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority's Overview and Scrutiny Committee
00:57that she has some justification in feeling aggravated at the way the Home Office communicated the announcement.
01:04He added he'd also met separately with the Chief Constable and that Merseyside Police is working with the Combined Authority on the transfer of powers.
01:11If the change goes ahead, it would mean the day-to-day responsibility for holding Merseyside Police to account would shift from the PCC to the Metro Mayor.
01:21The PCC role does not currently include operational decisions about deployment or oversight of complaints below the rank of Chief Constable.
01:29Steve Rotherham noted that the change also raises questions about the unique geography of the Liverpool City Region,
01:36which includes Halton in Cheshire, and said work is already underway to avoid disruption to existing police structures.
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