Hertfordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner responds to government announcement

Following on from the government’s announcement in parliament last week that Police and Crime Commissioners will be abolished in 2028. Jonathan Ash-Edwards says:

‘As Hertfordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, now one year into the role, my priority remains the same; delivering the Police and Crime Plan and making our county safer. The government’s announcement is not unexpected. It was already the government’s policy to replace Police & Crime Commissioners with directly elected mayors who would have responsibility for policing and crime. Hertfordshire’s leaders had already written to the government requesting a mayor for the county in 2028. This announcement means that policing and crime will need to be at the heart of the mayor’s role.

‘Since my election, I’ve been modernising how the role works, with a firm focus on the public’s priorities – improving policing, reducing crime and more visible patrols in our town centres.

‘And the plan is working. In my first 18 months, Operation Hotspot delivered 32,000 hours of additional high visibility police patrols in our town centres. Over 1,200 more crimes were solved in the first 10 months of this year compared to the same period last year. And I’ve introduced new public transparency into how I hold the Chief Constable to account.

‘The work continues at pace. I’m committed to ensuring Hertfordshire sees real improvements on the ground and that work will continue unaffected until the scheduled end of my term of office in May 2028.

‘There are, however, still unanswered questions about the government’s intentions for wider police reform. I am concerned that the weakening of local accountability is deliberate and signals a centralised approach to policing that could shift focus away from the priorities of Hertfordshire’s communities. It’s vital that local democratic oversight is protected so policing remains responsive to the people it serves.’