For:

Accountability: The government argues the plan will reconnect the public with policing, and make our forces far more accountable.

More democratic: Supporters say that for the first time ever the public will be able to directly vote for an individual to represent their community policing needs.

Better scrutiny: Supporters say police commissioners would be an improvement on police authorities which, some suggest, have been too weak to have much impact and too in awe of the chief constable and the Home Office to stand up to either of them. It says they tend to collaborate rather than scrutinise.

Against:

Politicisation of police: Critics fear commissioners will politicise one of our most vital services – with commissioners interfering in policing for their own electoral gain. They are worried that it could also increase the risk of corruption.

Cost: Government plans to introduce locally-elected police and crime commissioners could cost more than �130m to set up and run in the first year, while elections to be held every four years from May 2012, will cost �50m.

Checks and balances: There are concerns there could be too few checks and balances in place to hold commissioners themselves to account.