[This post is mainly aimed towards residents in the UK, but others can join in too]

Hey all,

Some of you will have noticed by now that police forces in the UK will have a vote-for-commissioner system, making the police (possibly) more involved with the community, and responding to their needs.

As a police officer myself, I feel that this will most likely lead to the election of commissioners who are interested in the local communities rather than 'the big picture'. I think that in time this will lead to collapse of units such as my own, as we are rarely seen around the streets of cities, and we would become a burden.

I want to know what you guys think of this, as this starts fairly soon.

This should be interesting!

As per usual only England and Wales are taking part :/ But I think its a great thing :D

I'm in the US and I've never heard of this...But I think they should do this in the US. That way the people get a Commissioner that THEY want, not one that the mayor wants.

This is good but it excludes London...

This is good but it excludes London...

Its excluding a lot of cities....infact my whole country :(

@Hunter: You have heard of this in the US. It's called a sheriff.

Also, Chief of Police is an elected official that listens to the communities needs and attempts to act accordingly. Also, the Chief runs the PD

Chiefs of Police often aren't elected (especially the chiefs of big departments). Sheriffs are almost always elected.

All these people can do is hire/fire the chief constable (the chief/sheriff equivalent) and set budgets etc. It's nothing significant really and a bit of a waste of money in my opinion, as well as being a way to introduce politics to the police - two things which should be separate.

Oh god no, please no, how much more can we add politics to lol.

Some say that having a commissioner adds more organization to a department.

All these people can do is hire/fire the chief constable (the chief/sheriff equivalent) and set budgets etc. It's nothing significant really and a bit of a waste of money in my opinion, as well as being a way to introduce politics to the police - two things which should be separate.

How does the senior leadership work currently in British police departments?

How does the senior leadership work currently in British police departments?

Forces are headed up by a chief constable, who has a deputy chief constable, then 2 or 3 assistant chief constables, chief superintendents, superintendents, inspectors, sergeants and then constables/officers. All of these are sworn police officers if you like. In England and Wales, there are also now commissioners, who are effectively elected politicians and supposedly do not have any control over operational matters.