There are 39 police areas in England1
and Wales. The Secretary of State is responsible for designating a Police Area Returning Officer (PARO) for each police area, who must be an Acting Returning Officer for a UK Parliamentary constituency falling wholly or partly within the police area.2
You are responsible for the overall conduct of the PCC election, and for liaising with and co-ordinating the work of Local Returning Officers (LROs) in the police area. The job description produced by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) for the purposes of PARO recruitment provides an overview of the role and responsibilities of PAROs.
Insurance and indemnity
You should ensure that you have appropriate insurance cover. You should be prepared to demonstrate robust planning and decision-making processes in the event of any challenge to the election and a claim against this cover.
The team at your council dealing with insurance may be able to help determine what existing cover is in place and available, and to provide advice as to whether it should be extended.
MHCLG will provide information relating to their policy around indemnifying PAROS and LROs in the run up to a scheduled PCC election.
1. This excludes Greater London, Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire where the mayor holds the responsibilities of a PCC. ↩ Back to content at footnote 1
2. Section 54, Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011, Article 2, Police and Crime Commissioner Elections Order 2012, and Police and Crime Commissioner Elections (Designation of Police Area Returning Officer) Order 2012 ↩ Back to content at footnote 2