Direct answer: Police and crime commissioners (PCCs) are elected or appointed officials who oversee local policing and hold the police force to account for delivering crime-reduction and public-safety outcomes in their area. Their core duties include setting policing priorities, approving the budget and precept (the portion of council tax funding for policing), appointing (and, if necessary, dismissing) the Chief Constable, and ensuring the police force operates effectively within the law and local priorities. PCCs also coordinate with partners across the criminal justice and community-safety sectors and are subject to oversight by police and crime panels or similar bodies that scrutinize performance and decisions. [relevant governance definitions vary by country, but this framework is common in the UK and echoed in other jurisdictions with similar oversight roles]