Chief Constable vs PCC: Who Does What?

The policing governance model in England and Wales separates the operational leadership of a police force (the chief constable) from its democratic accountability (the Police and Crime Commissioner, or PCC). Understanding the division between these two roles is essential for anyone seeking to understand how policing decisions are made and challenged.

The chief constable is a Crown appointee who holds operational command of the force. Under the Police Act 1996, the chief constable has "direction and control" of the force, meaning that all operational decisions (such as how to deploy officers, what crimes to prioritise, and how to conduct investigations) are the chief constable's responsibility. The principle of operational independence means that neither the PCC nor any politician may direct the chief constable in relation to specific cases or operations. This principle was established in the 1960s following the case of R v Metropolitan Police Commissioner, ex parte Blackburn [1968], in which Lord Denning stated that the Commissioner of Police "is not the servant of anyone save of the law itself."

The PCC is an elected official who holds the chief constable to account on behalf of the public. The PCC's functions under the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 include: setting the Police and Crime Plan (the strategic priorities for policing in the area), setting the budget and precept, appointing and (if necessary) dismissing the chief constable, and commissioning services for victims of crime. The PCC does not make operational decisions and must not interfere with operational matters.

Tensions arise where strategic priorities shade into operational territory. For example, if a PCC sets a priority to "reduce knife crime", the chief constable decides how to achieve this operationally. If the PCC believes the chief constable is not addressing the priority effectively, the remedy is a formal performance discussion, not a direction. In extremis, the PCC may call upon the chief constable to resign, though this is rare and politically sensitive. The chief constable can refuse and the matter may escalate to the Police and Crime Panel, which has oversight of the PCC. In London, the Mayor exercises the PCC function through the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime.