What is point of the PCC?

S VICKERS raises a very good point (HT letters 14/3/18) over the efficacy of Leicestershire Police & Crime Commissioner (PCC).

Note that this office costs us over £1m p.a. and we have a right to expect a return on the cost – how many extra nurses would this money provide for example?

Alongside the PCC there is also the IPCC which stands for something apparently very different (and which is funded separately), but it looks rather like an attempt to confuse us all.

Note the “I” stands for “independent”, so the PCC is presumably not.

Certainly from what one sees in the press, it looks to be no more than a police PR department.

The PCC’s declared role is to hold the police to account. However, it is not allowed to comment on or get involved with police “operational matters”, so one has to ask how it can possibly do the former without doing the latter.

Of course it cannot, so what is the point?

However you flower it up, both the PCC & IPCC exist to make sure the police do their job properly, so why is there a need for two organisations rather than one?

The debate over why there is a need to so closely monitor our law enforcement agencies is one for another day, but I’m sure the Chief Constable can instantly list half a dozen areas where he could put this money to far better effect. A Clarke