Despite the problems that have beset the elections for Police and Crime Commissioners we must still take them seriously

The criticism of the Police and Crime Commissioner reforms has been lengthy and varied. This week’s elections finally end the tripartite governance structure and replace it with an untested and far from popular new system focused on a single locally elected individual. Despite all the problems and the shortcomings, Tim Newburn argues that the issues involved are too important for us to do anything other than attempt to make this system work as effectively as possible.