Abstract

The article provides a critical assessment of the reformed structure of police governance in England and Wales. It considers the impact of directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners on the determination of local policing priorities and community interests and contrasts the powers exercised by PCC with that of the police authorities they replaced. It considers the limitations exhibited within the earlier ‘tripartite’ governance of the police in England and Wales and the implications of this for the accountability of the police service. It identifies the significance of the move from highly centralised policing to a fully devolved system which the arrival of PCCs represents. It draws attention to the continuing commitment by central government to devolution particularly in relation to the introduction of directly elected mayors to the Metro areas which are, in the near future, expected to take responsibility for the police service along with other strategic services. It thereafter considers current challenges to police delivery of service arising from both the significant increase in non-criminal incidents to which the police must now respond. It explores the ever increasing engagement of the police in response to mental health incidents in the community. It identifies in relation to this the remarkable increase in the roll out of tasers to the police and the implications of this for the protection of vulnerable members of the community.