Hertfordshire's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Jonathan Ash-Edwards has responded to the Government's announcement that PCCs will be abolished in 2028, saying his focus "remains the same" despite the planned changes.

The decision, confirmed in Parliament yesterday, will see Police and Crime Commissioners replaced with directly elected mayors who will take on responsibility for policing and crime. Hertfordshire council leaders had already written to ministers earlier this year backing the creation of a county-wide mayor from 2028, meaning policing will now form a central part of that future role.

Mr Ash-Edwards, who has been in post for just over a year, said residents should be reassured that ongoing work to improve policing will continue unchanged.

He said: "My priority remains delivering the Police and Crime Plan and making our county safer. The government's announcement is not unexpected… This means policing and crime will need to be at the heart of the mayor's role."

Since his election, Mr Ash-Edwards said he has focused on modernising the role and addressing public concerns around crime, visibility and accountability.

He highlighted a number of recent improvements, including:

• Operation Hotspot, which has delivered 32,000 hours of additional high-visibility patrols in town centres across Hertfordshire.
• More than 1,200 additional crimes solved in the first ten months of 2025 compared with the same period last year.
• New transparency measures in how he holds the Chief Constable to account.

"The work continues at pace," he added. "I'm committed to ensuring Hertfordshire sees real improvements on the ground and that work will continue unaffected until the end of my term in May 2028."

However, the PCC also warned that the reforms raise concerns around the future of local accountability. He said there remain "unanswered questions" about wider police reform proposals and suggested the shift could risk a more centralised system that moves attention away from Hertfordshire's priorities.

"I am concerned that the weakening of local accountability is deliberate," he said. "It's vital that local democratic oversight is protected so policing remains responsive to the people it serves."

Hitchin Nub News will continue to follow developments as the Government sets out further details on the transition to a mayor-led policing model.