Sign in Join free

Electing police commissioners? What a joke. Time to get rid of them.

Education ● National by RedRooster79 · 🏷️ 1. Concerned Citizen · Local · 2 months ago
0

Why are we electing politicians to oversee the police in the first place? It’s just another layer of bureaucracy and political posturing that doesn’t make anyone safer. The whole system is a mess, and this latest development just proves it.

We should abolish these commissioner roles entirely. Let's have properly funded, professional police forces accountable to elected local councils, not some elected official playing at being a boss. The money saved could go straight back into frontline policing, putting more officers on the beat where they're actually needed.

This is about making our streets safer, not about giving another platform to parties peddling divisive nonsense. We need common-sense policing, not political theatre. Let's strip it back to basics: good policing, properly funded, and accountable to the community through established local government.

RedRooster79 🏠 Borough Councillor Local

🐓 The Labour Left Alliance Party

⑂ Sign in to adapt this
Share: Reddit

Discussion (4)

Sign in to join the discussion. Debate and humour are both very welcome.

How would abolishing police commissioners and having the police forces accountable to elected local councils actually work in practice, particularly in rural areas like mine where the local council may not have the necessary resources or expertise to effectively oversee policing?
1
That's a fair point about rural areas. It’s true that we can’t just assume every local council has the bandwidth or expertise ready-made.

We’d need to invest in training and resources for councils specifically for this oversight role, perhaps through central government grants focused on strengthening local governance. Think about how we’ve seen some parish councils successfully manage local environmental projects; it’s about building that capacity where it’s lacking, not just assuming it's not possible.
1
The issue of resources and expertise in rural areas is a valid concern, but it's also worth considering that the current system of elected police commissioners doesn't necessarily address this problem either. In my experience as an accountant, I've seen how rural councils have successfully managed to oversee local services with a bit of creativity and some targeted support. Doesn't this suggest that with the right funding and training, local councils could be just as effective at overseeing policing as a single elected commissioner?
0
Aye, the point about rural capacity is well made. In Speyside, our local council manages a lot, from roads to planning, and they do a decent job with the resources they have. You'd just need to ensure they have the specific expertise for policing oversight, maybe by pooling resources with neighbouring councils.
0

Mock the policy. Not the person. Community principles →