Deadline looms for election of Police Commissioner

Police governance is changing. In November 2012 your local police authority will be abolished and replaced by Devon and Cornwall’s first Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC).

There will be one Police and Crime Commissioner covering Devon (including Torbay and Plymouth), Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

The PCC election will take place on Thursday 15 November 2012.

The Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) will:

Be singularly accountable to you for the policing of Devon and Cornwall
Listen to your views on community safety and set priorities in a plan for the police which address community concerns
Ensure the Chief Constable directs police officers and resources to tackle the things that you say are important
Set the strategic direction for policing but not interfere with day-to-day police operations or tactics
Balance local needs of the public and victims against assisting national policing responsibilities
Appoint and, in extreme circumstances dismiss the Chief Constable

Getting ready for the change

The Police Authority will continue to work as normal until the election, the Policing Plan and budget for 2012-13 have been set. The Authority’s support staff will be working over the next year to make the necessary arrangements to make the transition to the Police and Crime Commissioner as smooth as possible. There are some key documents supporting this work and they are available for you to view below.

We will provide regular updates about this process of transition and its implications for the residents of Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly via our e-newsletter, Facebook page, on this website and through our face to face engagement activity. Sign up to receive our e-newsletter by clicking here. We are also producing a series of Factsheets which you can download at the bottom of this page.

We will keep updating this page as progress is made towards 15 November 2012. If you would like to read the Government’s information about PCC’s please visit the Home Office website.