Why are we fixing what's not broken?

In Leicestershire, we already have seven district councils which, through The Crime and Disorder Act 1998, are empowered to work with statutory partners to tackle crime and promote the prevention of crime.

These partnerships are called Community Safety Partnerships (CSP). The statutory partners consist of the police, fire authority, probation service, local councils, health authorities and others who feel they can positively contribute by working together with one common aim, to reduce and prevent crime.

The CSPs have been active for a long time and they have helped bring down crime throughout Leicestershire.

They are growing in strength by working collaboratively, sharing information, supporting one another, enabling resources to be targeted more effectively and the outcomes measured against their priorities. This outstanding achievement is taking place already, without the need for a police and crime commissioner.

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Electing a political PCC will not improve this already successful partnership.

We have a structure at present that works – the police authority members do exactly what is in the job description for the PCC, the chief constable is accountable to the police authority.

The PCC structure will be hierarchical, with an elected PCC at the top, on a salary of circa £75k, supported by a deputy PCC – unelected and salary not known – and the administration team.

Below this will be a police and crime panel, consisting of elected members and independent members, similar to the previous police authorities. The chief constable will now be accountable to the PCC.

As an taxpayer, I wonder why million of pounds are being spent on a structure that is already in place and working.

I accept that there is always room for improvement and that we should never become complacent, however these so-called improvements will only add another layer of bureaucracy and cost the taxpayer unnecessarily. What we need to do is build on our existing successes and continue to make Leicestershire a safe place to work and a safe place to live.

I do not believe that the election of a PCC will add anything positive to the system that is already in place.

Kevin Loydall, chairman, community safety partnership, Oadby & Wigston Borough Council.

I thought the new police commissioners were supposed to be a way for the public to get their concerns about local crime across to the police, so they knew the issues that affected people the most and could then act on them.

From what I have heard so far, it seems they will be more concerned with budgets and shuffling money around – including their salaries. £75,000? You could get a lot of policing for that. This "election" is merely continuing the "too many chiefs" road that the hospitals have already gone down, and look at the state of them!

Nina Kenchington, Leicester.