Good Riddance: Teesside PCC Matt Storey will be the last Crime Commissioner after position is abolished.
- teessidetoday
- Nov 14
- 3 min read
Many Local's "glad to see the role's set to be abolished", as many claim it's increased the layer of bureaucracy in one of Teesside's most corrupt & unaccountable Extremist Groups.
14th November 2025
The Labour Government this week confirmed that Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) across England and Wales will finally be abolished in 2028 — a decision that lands at a time when Cleveland Police’s catastrophic record on corruption, misconduct, and public trust continues to drag the force of no public confidence into national embarrassment.
Instead of elected PCCs, its claimed policing responsibilities will be handed to regional mayors or local council leaders, a move ministers insist will save at least £100 million and redirect funds toward neighbourhood policing.
But some have argued that the Government is simply reshuffling the same broken system — and in Cleveland, where calls for the force to be disbanded grow louder by the day, the announcement has ignited fresh debate over accountability and trust.
Government: PCCs “Failed to Inspire Confidence”
Policing Minister Sarah Jones delivered the announcement in Parliament earlier this week, stating the PCC model had shown “little sign of improving confidence in policing”, with voter turnout below 25% and two in five people unaware the role even exists.
She argued PCCs have weakened accountability, warped the recruitment of Chief Constables, and failed to provide the oversight communities expect.
A Failed Experiment
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood went further, describing PCCs as “a failed experiment”, pledging that scrapping the roles will help put more officers back into communities.
Cleveland PCC Matt Storey Hits Back: “This Doesn’t Stack Up”
Cleveland’s Labour PCC Matt Storey — blasted the Government’s decision, claiming his office was notified only minutes before the public announcement.
“It is disgraceful that my team found out moments before the minister’s statement,” he said.“There was no consultation, no transparency — it’s been cooked up in back rooms.”
Storey accused ministers of dismissing the work PCC staff do to support victims, reduce crime, and scrutinise police forces.
He also dismissed the claim of £100 million in savings, noting that the costs are largely tied to elections — which could be reduced simply by aligning them with other local votes, as already happens in the Tees Valley.
“Replacing PCCs with mayors or boards won’t boost accountability — it will dilute it,” he warned.
Oversight Cuts Come as Cleveland Police Continues to Stagger Under a Litany of Misconduct Scandals
The timing of the Government’s decision has raised concerns among local residents who have endured years of scandal, corruption allegations, misconduct cases, Officers murdering suspects in custody, and disastrous leadership within Cleveland Police — which now continues to be branded one of the worst-performing forces in the UK for more than a decade.
Despite repeated efforts to rebuild trust, the force continues to face High-profile corruption investigations, A persistent culture of misconduct, Failures in leadership and oversight, Rock-bottom public confidence, Millions paid out in compensation and legal claims & National criticism from HMICFRS and watchdogs...
Those supporting the PCC role claim, the Police & Crime Commissioner has been one of the only mechanisms offering dedicated oversight of a force long plagued by controversy. Scrapping that role now — particularly in a force with such a visibly damaged record — has only intensified local fears that accountability will weaken further.
Storey: “My Team Deserves Better — and Cleveland Deserves Better”
Storey vowed to continue delivering on his Police and Crime Plan until the role is abolished:
“I may only have two years left, but I will not slow down. Cleveland deserves strong oversight, and my team will keep holding the force to account.”
Critics Say The Government Is “Merely Tinkering Around the Edges”
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp criticised the Government for failing to produce the long-promised White Paper on policing reform, branding the PCC announcement:
“Tinkering around the edges from a Government failing on crime and policing.”
For Cleveland Police— a force in perpetual crisis since the 1990s — many feel the changes fail to address the bigger question:
