The government has laid legislation in Parliament to transfer the Police and Crime Commissioner functions to the West Midlands and South Yorkshire mayors
The transfer of Police and Crime Commissioner functions will mean that the mayors in the West Midlands and South Yorkshire will have oversight over their respective local police forces to improve collaboration across public services. The Police and Crime Commissioner role will be assumed by the newly elected mayors across those local areas following the upcoming elections in May.
This follows two six-week public consultations which gave the public the opportunity to share their opinions on the proposals. The responses were then carefully considered by the Home Secretary, amongst other information, before the decision was made to proceed with the legislation.
These changes will come into effect from the next mayoral elections in May 2024, protecting the democratic accountability of the Police and Crime Commissioner role. With additional responsibility for their respective local forces, the newly elected mayors will be well placed to align police and crime priorities with other public services such as transport and regeneration.
Subject to parliamentary approval, these changes are a continuation of the government’s plan set out in the Levelling Up white paper to see all combined authority mayors exercise Police and Crime Commissioner functions, where feasible. This has already been successfully implemented in Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and in London where the mayor has responsibilities equivalent to that of a Police and Crime Commissioner.
Parliamentary debates to discuss the legislation are expected to commence shortly.
The term of office for the current mayor of South Yorkshire will be brought forward and end in May 2024 rather than 2026.