Police and crime commissioners will be scrapped in England and Wales to save £100m this parliament, the government has said.
The government has said that less than 20% of voters can name their PCC.
Instead, the role will go to an elected mayor or council leaders after the commissioners’ terms end in 2028.
There are currently 41 commissioners under the system, introduced 12 years ago by former Conservative prime minister David Cameron.
According to ministers, the savings will allow them to invest an extra £20m each year on frontline policing.
Although its stated aim was to make forces more accountable to the areas they serve, the system’s costs and the effectiveness of commissioners have long been criticised.
Police Minister Sarah Jones told the House of Commons on Thursday that the model “fell short of expectations” and “did not deliver what it was expected to achieve”.
He added that “public understanding [of PCCs’ role] remains low despite efforts to raise its profile.
Jones said PCCs had tried to provide strong oversight and tackle crime, but the model “weakened local police accountability and has had perverse impacts on police chief recruitment”.
The PCCs’ main responsibilities include setting an annual budget, appointing police chiefs, producing a five-year policing plan and evaluating the performance of their force against the plan.
