Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) have been elected by the public in England and Wales since 2012.
The role was introduced by the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act.
PCCs act as the voice of the public across their force area. They are responsible for the oversight and strategic management of a number of areas of policing, community safety and victims’ services.
PCCs took over many of the duties previously performed by Police Authorities.
Read more about the PCC role hereWhat’s happening to PCCs?
On 13 November 2025, Policing Minister Sarah Jones MP announced that the role of PCC will be abolished across England and Wales.
The change will happen at the end of the next electoral cycle in May 2028, when the term of office for current PCCs expires.
Where possible, the PCC role will be absorbed by elected mayors.
In areas not covered by a regional mayor, Policing and Crime Boards will be established. They will be made up of local government leaders.
The Government will ensure support services for victims and witnesses continue to run as smoothly as possible during the changeover.
What’s happening in Cleveland?
The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) for Cleveland is working to understand the impact of changes locally.
We will update the public as soon as we’ve established what change will look like.
What else is happening?
The move to abolish PCCs comes as part of a series of major reforms in policing by the Government.
The Government says it wants to raise policing standards, strengthen performance management and end the “postcode lottery” for crime outcomes.
The White Paper on Policing Reform has proposed changes to how police forces are organised across England and Wales.
The Paper begins to set out further powers to improve standards while restoring local neighbourhood policing.