An Elected PCC was always going to be a contentious Democratic issue & as we have seen with Mr Coppinger the immediate recruitment of Mr Chicken is a case in point.
But the linked article shows why the public were right to be scepitical about the PCC Elections in the first place.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/9728959/Fears-of-cronyism-as-police-commissioners-appoint-deputies.html
It is just another layer of Pseudo Democratic Bulls**t for the tax payers to cut through in the event of any complaints, not to mention the financial costs to the already hard pressed general public.