Councillors ponder future of police scrutiny after PCCs scrapped

The leader of Newport City Council said he agrees with plans to abolish police and crime commissioners (PCCs), as “part of a wider landscape of police reform”.

Elected PCCs were created to hold chief constables to account and serve as a link between the police and the public.

The UK Government announced in mid-November it would scrap PCCs by 2028, “saving the taxpayer at least £100 million and helping to fund frontline officers to cut crime”.

Responding to a question from Tory councillor David Fouweather, local authority leader Cllr Dimitri Batrouni, said he supported the government’s plans.

“That’s not to diminish the great work PCCs have done – including the current incumbent – and the charities.. and community groups they’ve supported over many years”, the leader said, before praising initiatives such as the Safer Streets youth programme.

Cllr Fouweather offered a dimmer appraisal of the PCC project, however.

“I believe they were a mistake, but they also politicised – in my opinion – our police service”, he said.

The council leader noted it was a previous Conservative-led UK Government which introduced PCCs, but said he expected there to be a “Welsh solution” to future arrangements for holding the police to account.

“Whoever holds this position in the future… I think they’ll have so much on their plate,” Cllr Batrouni said. “To hold the police to account by themselves as an individual is a lot to ask.

“There are lots of pertinent issues that affect lots of people across this chamber, and I don’t think it should be [dealt with by] an individual. That’s my personal opinion. I think we need a proper mechanism.”

When the UK Government announced it would scrap PCCs, home secretary Shabana Mahmood called their introduction “a failed experiment”.

The government said regional mayors would take on PCCs’ responsibilities, and in areas not covered by a mayor, the role would be taken on by elected council leaders.

“The unique circumstances of devolved local government arrangements in Wales will be taken into consideration,” the government added at the time.