Devolve policing when crime commissioners go, says Plaid

Police and crime commissioner elections, that were due in 2028, will not now take place

A UK government decision to scrap police and crime commissioners (PCCs) in England and Wales should be accompanied by the full transfer of powers over policing and justice to Cardiff, Plaid Cymru has said.

The Home Office announced on Thursday that PCCs will be abolished in 2028.

Policing Minister Sarah Jones said the UK government would work with Welsh ministers to establish how Wales' four PCCs should be replaced, adding that Thursday's announcement "isn't about the devolution of policing".

In a joint statement, Wales four PCCs said they would focus on "ensuring that accountability, transparency and public service remain at the heart of any new model".

Elected police and crime commissioners were introduced in 2012 with the aim of improving accountability and creating a link between police forces and the communities they serve.

However, Jones said the model had "failed to live up to expectations" with only 16% of voters able to name their local PCC.

In Wales, just 17% of voters took part in last year's PCC elections.

Policing and justice in Wales and England is the responsibility of ministers in Westminster.

Jones explained that the functions of PCCs in England would be transferred to elected mayors "wherever possible".

With no elected mayors in Wales, Jones said the UK government would "work with the Welsh government...recognising the unique nature of Welsh arrangements".

Responding to her statement in the Commons, Plaid Cymru MP for Caerfyrddin Ann Davies said the announcement "makes clear the absurd complexity of an England and Wales justice system".

"The UK government will look to the Welsh government to help replace the PCC system in Wales, but has refused the same government powers over policing."

She asked the minister if she agreed that "devolving the entire justice system to Wales makes the logical sense".

Jones replied: "This announcement, just to be clear, isn't about the devolution of policing - it's about the structural changes to a model that simply wasn't working."

The debate over whether responsibility for policing and justice should be transferred from Westminster to Cardiff is long-running, including within Labour.

At odds with party colleagues in London, Welsh Labour would like to see the powers devolved.

"Our position in Welsh Labour is clear on this," the First Minister Eluned Morgan said on Thursday.

"We'll be having conversations with the UK government on the future of policing."

Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens accepted that the debate "may rumble on".

South Wales PCC Emma Wools became the first black female police and crime commissioner elected last year

There was fierce criticism of the UK government decision by former Labour south Wales police and crime commissioner Alun Michael.

In an interview with BBC Radio Cymru's Dros Ginio, Michael, a commissioner from 2012 until his retirement last year, said the timing of the announcement "didn't make any sense at all".

He also claimed the proposed savings from the change, of £100m over this UK Parliament, would not happen.

"You can't save that sort of money," he said. "It's impossible because you have to have that public accountability, and if you get rid of the commissioners you'll have to do it another way."

He defended the PCC's work, particularly in the case of crime prevention which was, he said, "the sort of thing the public have been asking for".

Conservative Senedd member Andrew RT Davies said Plaid Cymru's call for policing to be devolved revealed its "strategy to salami slice our Union out of existence".

"When Plaid say they've put independence on the back burner, they're lying," he said.

"This demand is part of Plaid's plan to create ever more separation from the rest of Britain and must be resisted at all costs."

What are the current Wales PCCs saying?

Three of Wales current Police and Crime Commissioners are Labour and one is from Plaid Cymru.

They are Emma Wools, the South Wales PCC, Andy Dunbobbin, in North Wales and the Gwent PCC Jane Mudd.

Plaid Cymru's Dafydd Llywelyn covers the Dyfed Powys force area.

In a joint statement, the four PCCs said: "As this process unfolds, our focus remains on ensuring that accountability, transparency and public service remain at the heart of any new model."

They added: "We welcome the government's stated commitment to ensuring that public confidence remains central to policing oversight, and we are committed to engaging constructively to achieve that goal.

"The role of PCC may change, but our dedication to the people of Wales and our force areas remains unwavering.

"We will continue to champion victims, uphold public confidence, and work tirelessly to ensure that policing in Wales remains responsive, fair and effective through this period of transition and beyond."

What do police and crime commissioners do?

Elected PCCs were intended to help ensure that police forces function effectively, but not to run those forces themselves.

They are politicians and are not in charge of day-to-day decision-making.

The operational independence of police forces is protected by law.

PCCs were created to hold police forces to account, to scrutinise their performance on behalf of the public they serve.

They appoint chief constables and can dismiss them, if required.

They also set the annual budget for their force and decide the level of the slice of council tax which is dedicated to police funding, known as the police precept.

The thinking behind commissioners was that they would provide a link between officers and communities, consulting local people, councils and other bodies and to ensure that police funding is spent wisely.

PCCs also oversee community safety and set out force strategy and policing priorities in a Police and Crime Plan.