Elections and Purdah

Police and Crime Commissioners are elected every four years.  The last election was in May 2016 and the next election will be in May 2021 (delayed by one year due to Coronavirus).

To read about the roles and responsibilities of a PCC please visit the Home Office briefing about PCC roles and responsibilities or view the short video at the top of the page made by the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC), which explains how the public can have their say in who their local PCC is. You can also find information on the My Role pages of our website.

Purdah

The pre-election period known as purdah starts when the notice of election is published (normally end of March)

The Code of Practice on Local Authority Resources prevents the use of public resources for party political purposes. Some key points relevant to us:

• All public information about policing should be available equally to all candidates

• Our facilities cannot be used for party political purposes, this includes the use of rooms, buildings, IT equipment, telephones, photographs etc.

• While it is business as usual it is also good practice not to announce significant new policies or plans during the pre-election period.