Norfolk's police and crime commissioner has said the post should not be axed if the county gets a new 'mayor-style' figure.
With Norfolk County Council due to get a publicly-elected leader from 2025, as part of a deal to devolve more government powers to County Hall, the possibility of the police and crime commissioner role being merged with that position has been raised.
Giles Orpen-Smellie, who has been the county's police and crime commissioner (PCC) since winning the May 2021 election, said a debate is worth having - but believes Norfolk should keep the roles separate.
Every police force area in England and Wales is represented by a PCC except London, Manchester and West Yorkshire, where the mayor has responsibility.
But the government is consulting over transferring PCC functions in South Yorkshire and the West Midlands to mayors there.
Conservative Mr Orpen-Smellie wrote in a blog: "The decision begs a question about whether we might do the same in Norfolk, transferring the PCC's responsibilities to the new directly elected leader of Norfolk County Council once this post has been created in 2025.
"In a democratic society, it’s right that we should ask whether the current solution is the best solution in terms of effectiveness and cost."
With PCC elections this May, and the first election of the directly-elected Norfolk County Council leader pushed back to 2025, 2028 would be the earliest date for any transfer of powers.
Mr Orpen-Smellie said: "It would be easy to sweep away current arrangements, but that would not necessarily be helpful if the detail of change has not been thought through.
"However, Norfolk has until May 2028 in which to hold such a debate if Norfolk's voters should wish such a debate to take place.
"My view in the meantime, notwithstanding the home secretary’s decision in the West Midlands, is that Norfolk should retain an elected PCC and that local policing should remain subject to local political oversight, with the elected individual serving as the voice of the public of Norfolk that elected them."
PCCs are directly elected to hold police forces to account. They set force budgets, decide crime prioritise and can fire and hire chief constables.
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