In response to a call from the Liberal Democrat’s Home Affairs lead in the House of Lords for the Government to postpone and pilot its plans for Directly Elected Police and Crime Commissioners (http://bbc.in/dNucjv), APA Deputy Chair Ann Barnes commented:

“The APA supports the call by the Liberal Democrats to allow communities which wish to try out this revolution in British policing to do so as pilot schemes.

The risks of introducing elected Police Commissioners (PCCs) into the UK are clear – we could see politicisation, higher costs, the concentration of powers over policing with less influence for minorities and important policing priorities neglected. What are less clear are the benefits being claimed for this think tank policy by its proponents.

Policy should be guided by what the people want, and what works.

 Police Authorities' record demonstrates that they have worked by delivering cuts in crime, record numbers of police on the streets and growing public confidence in policing.

Since the Home Office has declined to issue the full results of its own consultation on PCCs, there is no evidence that local people want police commissioners and we have yet to see the results of the government's consultation - indeed according to recent YouGov polls - only 15% back the idea. But if local people wish to trial this idea, we would support that.

In the same way that pathfinder pilots allowed the early introduction of Elected Mayors where local populations wanted them, the piloting of any introduction of Elected Police Commissioners and an independent evaluation of their impact would inform the public about what PCCs could deliver for them.

We believe that, given the current pressure on budgets, people want more Constables, not costly contests for Commissioners. We would encourage their Lordships to allow the Government's policing plans to be piloted so that local people can make a choice based on both what they want, and clear evidence of what works."