National representative body for PCCs

Police and crime commissioners (PCCs) will have a unique democratic mandate to hold their police force to account and tackle crime in their area. They will have to work with, and commission services from, a wide range of partners if they are to achieve their objectives and respond to the priorities of their local areas.

This includes:

• engaging with the public
• setting local policing priorities
• agreeing a local strategic plan
• holding the chief constable to account
• setting the force budget and precept
• and appoint and, where necessary, dismiss the chief constable.

Each police force area must have a police and crime panel (PCP) to scrutinise the police and crime commissioner and support them in the effective exercise of their functions. The panels will be made up of councillors from the local authorities in that area.

Given councils have a similar mandate and a track record of working in partnership with other public agencies and the private and voluntary sectors – the LGA is proposing to establish the national representative body for PCCs.

We will build on the LGA's existing strengths and combine them with dedicated police and crime commissioners' assocation (PaCCA) resource to provide support and services that benefit PCCs, councils and ultimately local communities.