Policing in this country is in a mess. That is not a reflection upon the dedication, hard work and courage, of individual police officers and staff at all levels. But it is a fair reflection upon a system that has failed them as it has failed the public as a whole.
PCCs have turned out to be a curate's egg, at best. I remember them being conceived when I was a shadow minister. Steve Hilton, David Cameron's then-policy guru, much influenced by his time in California, saw American-style directly-elected mayors and commissioners as the way to cut through bureaucracy, improve accountability and re-engage apathetic voters
