United Kingdom
In England and Wales, outside of Greater London, Police and Crime Commissioners are directly elected officials charged with securing efficient and effective policing of their police area. They will not be police officers, although they will appoint and hold to account their Chief Constable. The first Police and Crime Commissioners were elected in November 2012, with the lowest electorate turnout ever in England and Wales.
Historically the title Commissioner has referred to the professional chief police officer of certain police forces, and that is still the case within Greater London, with the Commissioner of the City of London Police and the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis. Both these Commissioners are appointed, not elected, and since the 1950s have been career police officers (as opposed to the previous practice of appointing former British Army officers). Although they were technically justices of the peace until the 1970s, the Commissioners have always worn a similar uniform to police officers, and have been treated similarly in terms of pay and terms of service.
Read more about this topic: Police Commissioner
Famous quotes containing the words united and/or kingdom:
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—Carolyn Wells (1862–1942)
“It is easier to govern a kingdom than to rule a family.”
—Chinese proverb.