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<p>Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) are held accountable by the most effective
check on any politician: the ballot box. This democratic power did not exist before
2012, when we replaced invisible, unaccountable police <br>authorities with directly
elected PCCs. Under the old system, the public had no say in who served as a police
authority chairman or member and more than 5.8 million votes have been cast for PCCs
since their introduction.<br><br>The rules on the dismissal of a PCC are stronger
than those for similar directly elected roles, such as MPs. Police and Crime Panels
hold the power to suspend a PCC charged with an offence which carries a maximum sentence
above <br>two years imprisonment. Any PCC found guilty of an imprisonable offence
(whether or not a custodial sentence is handed down) is immediately disqualified from
holding office.<br><br>The Home Secretary has said that there is a debate to be had
on the issue of PCC recall, and the Government will listen carefully to the views
of the Home Affairs Select Committee, of Parliament, and of the public more generally,
and <br>will reflect upon these views.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
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