Sir Hugh Orde, President of the Association of Chief Police Officers said:

"This week has seen the most fundamental change to police accountability and governance for many years come into place. On behalf of all chief officers, I offer best wishes to incoming Police and Crime Commissioners, and look forward to working with them in their new posts.

"PCCs find themselves in a unique position, in a new untested role that is wide in scope and complexity, while bringing with it great responsibility. Policing starts these new relationships from a position of strength, with crime falling, confidence in policing increasing, and the police service responding to the challenge of cutting costs. But significant challenges lie ahead, to sustain that record while making further difficult decisions on budgets and to deliver policing which remains efficient, effective and responsive at local level while still protecting from the serious and strategic threats at national level.

"Now that the speculation is over, we can get on making this new system work and with our shared aim of cutting crime, protecting and serving our communities."

ENDS