Ripon councillors have voted unanimously to make a formal complaint against the city’s police amid fears that the force has lost public confidence.
Concerns about the failure to tackle and eradicate the recurring problems of criminal activity in Ripon, combined with a perceived lack of urgency in their response to 101 calls made by the public, were voiced by Independent and Conservative councillors alike.
In a further blow for residents worried about the lack of police resources to deal with violent and anti-social behaviour, members at last night’s Ripon City Council meeting were told that the provision of a custody suite at the Stonebridgegate site that police share with the city’s firefighters will not materialise.
The promised custody suite will not be added at that site that Ripon Police share with firefighters.
Former North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Philip Allott, pledged to fund the project and provide two additional cctv cameras, in a two-pronged plan to support enhanced policing in the city.
But Independent council leader Andrew Williams, said:
“The promises he made were nothing more than pie in the sky, there was no way in a million years that he was going to be able to pay for these facilities out of his community budget. The custody suite alone would have cost up to £7 million.”
Cllr Williams revealed that Zoe Metcalfe, who was elected commissioner in November following Mr Allott’s resignation – in the face of widespread condemnation of remarks he made in a radio interview about the Sarah Everard murder trial – had requested the council to submit a complaint to her about policing in Ripon.
He said:
“When I and three fellow councillors met with her last week, we had a frank discussion and after listening to our concerns, she asked the council to make a formal complaint, so that she can take the necessary official steps to address the matter.
“Resident are being asked to pay more for policing through their council tax and what they are receiving in Ripon at the moment is not fit for purpose.”
Cllr Mike Chambers, who is also cabinet member for housing and safer communities on Harrogate Borough Council, said:
“I have been pressing the commissioner for more warranted police officers on the beat in Ripon, because the PCSOs (police community support officers) have only limited powers to take action when an incident occurs.”
Cllr Pauline McHardy, an independent city and district councillor, added:
Persistent vandalism threat to shops on Harrogate’s Bower Street“I spoke with a market stallholder who had their cash box stolen early last Thursday morning. They reported it straight away but the police didn’t send anybody to investigate the theft. This just isn’t good enough.”
Two shop owners on Harrogate’s Bower Street have said they feel a sense of helplessness in the face of anti-social behaviour and vandalism that is blighting trade.
Doe Bakehouse and Jarfull have both called the police multiple times to report vandalism, fighting and anti-social behaviour.
They say the empty shop in between their premises is often full of people drinking, playing music and sometimes getting violent. Litter is common too.
Doe Bakehouse had its front seating area covered in mud and concrete last weekend.
The shop has previously had its door smashed and often has litter thrown into the seating area.
Owner Evie Jackson said after the incident it had become a “frequent target” and that she planned to close the shop and just fulfil online pre-orders from the premises. She said:
“We deal with antisocial behaviour constantly due to issues on the street and we are at a loss with what can be done.”
The shops are situated between the One Arch tunnel and Harrogate Homeless Project.
Rebecca Lodge, who owns Jarfull, which promotes sustainable shopping, said she had called the police many times to report fights and anti-social behaviour. She said:
No.9: Persistent crime in Ripon“Next door is empty so people just hang around, drinking and being a bit rowdy. I’ve not had any issues as such but it’s caused issues in that people are put off coming because it can be quite intimidating having eight people sat there drinking. I’ve had to call the police a few times for fighting but generally it’s just drinking.
“Being in here can be intimidating and it’s tricky because sometimes I think it would be better off if we had the shop somewhere else because I’m in no doubt people are put off coming this end of town but then customers love that they can park right outside.”
In this article, which is part of a series on the 15 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2021, we look at the persistent problems on the streets of Ripon.
Stories about violent and anti-social behaviour in Ripon have featured regularly in the news this year.
Among the most disturbing, was our report in August about a terrifying ordeal for a young boy, who was held up by a man and a youth at knifepoint and robbed of this trainers, mobile phone and jewellery.
The thugs, who threatened to ‘shank’ his leg with the knife if he didn’t do as told, were soon arrested by the police and brought to justice.
In February, a Ripon retailer came to the aid of a man who was being set upon by two vicious thugs in broad daylight.
The retailer, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Stray Ferret the attack occurred when the victim remonstrated with youths who had thrown a snowball at him. He said:
“As I came out of the shop, the man was on the ground and one of the youths was kicking him in the head, while another was stamping on his face.
“I thought that they were going to kill him – I shouted at them and they ran off.”
Earlier that month, we reported on a three-hour spate of crime in Ripon on a Sunday evening that included a man carrying a machete, a robbery, thefts and gangs gathering.
The incidents, included a robbery in which a 23-year-old man suffered facial injuries after being attacked by two or three males, who stole his phone and watch.
Following the incidents, Inspector Alex Langley, head of neighbourhood policing for Ripon, tried to reassure people that the events were being taken seriously and that “we will be taking robust action against those responsible”.
Philip Allott, North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner at the time, responded by saying he hoped an increased police presence in the city would send a message that “crime will not be tolerated”. He also urged more residents to “break silence” and report anything suspicious.
“Officers know who the perpetrators are, they have made arrests, they have got a grip on the situation, and I am confident of that.
“One of the problems we have in Ripon is sometimes a wall of silence by certain families and that makes it quite difficult to apprehend people.
“The police will still get those people. It just takes a bit longer.
But further violent and anti-social behaviour in August prompted police to step-up patrols and launch investigations into four separate incidents
At the time, detective superintendent Steve Thomas, of North Yorkshire Police, said:
“Following the success of local policing operations to reduce anti-social behaviour in Ripon over recent months these latest incidents are disappointing.
“We are determined that this small group of individuals are held to account for behaviour that harms the quality of life for everyone else.
“Local residents will see an increase in police presence over the coming days and we want to reassure you that we will do everything necessary to tackle this isolated problem.”
This is just a snapshot of some of the incidents that police in Ripon have had to tackle in 2021. They have also run, in conjunction with Operation Spectre, a national campaign to engage with schoolchildren in the city about the dangers of knife crime and taking drugs.
Sergeant Heidi Lewis, of the schools liaison team, said officers were there to build relationships with the children and answer any questions. She said:
“Education at an early stage is crucial to steer children away from falling into a criminal lifestyle and becoming exploited.
“Some young people think it’s safe to carry a knife in case they need it for self-defence – but this could not be further from the truth. Any knife in the hands of anyone can cost lives.”
The city will be hoping to make headlines for more positive reasons in 2022.
Ripon councillors call on crime commissioner to keep CCTV promiseNorth Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoe Metcalfe has been called on by Ripon City Council to keep a promise made by her predecessor regarding the purchase of CCTV cameras to combat violent and anti-social behaviour.
Former commissioner Philip Allott, who resigned in October, said he would pay £20,000 for two cameras out of his PFCC community fund.
He pledged in September to pay for cameras for use in the Bondgate area of the Ripon, following a “mini crime wave”.
He told a meeting of North Yorkshire County Council‘s Skipton and Ripon Area Constituency Committee that his office was willing to pay for the extra cameras, costing £10,000 apiece, if Ripon City Council submitted an application — which it did.
He subsequently resigned before the cameras were bought.
The PFCC has now said in an email to the city council:
“The PFCC community fund is not, at this stage – under the funding criteria as it stands – in a position to support your application for the CCTV requested.”
The email added that the PFCC has agreed with North Yorkshire County Council that a joint strategic approach to a countywide CCTV review will proceed after the May local elections next year.
Ms Metcalfe told the Stray Ferret:
“It is deeply disappointing that the previous commissioner committed resources without advice and full consideration of the funding criteria of the community fund, and I am sorry the city council has been put in this position.
“Unfortunately, if we were to fund CCTV for one area, we would find ourselves in an impossible position of being asked to replicate this type of provision across the whole of York and North Yorkshire.
“The funding pot we have available is simply unable to support this, which is why it is important we take an overall view.
“I give my full assurance to the city council and the residents and businesses of Ripon that my team and I will support them to address their community safety concerns together with the appropriate statutory partners.”
Councillor Andrew Williams, leader of Ripon City Council, said:
“I have been contacted by the commissioner, who has offered to meet with me.
“I will be taking her up on the offer, so that I can press the case that residents in Bondgate were promised by her predecessor two CCTV cameras, which are much-needed to ensure that residents who have felt blighted by anti-social behaviour feel safe.
“The temporary camera installed in Bondgate by Harrogate Borough Council earlier this year had a significant impact and a permanent solution now needs to be delivered as promised.”
Mr Allott, stood down after making comments in a radio interview about the murder of Sarah Everard murder trial.
Harrogate Borough Council has installed a new set of lights in the Sun Colonnade in the first of a series of winter improvement in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens.
The council spent £15,000 on LED lighting to make the area, which has been subject to anti-social behaviour, more attractive and safer.
In the coming weeks the council plans to steam clean the Sun Colonnade and remove some of the heavy ivy, which would encourage growth of other vines.
The council is also planning to add lights to the trees along the lime tree walk, adjacent to the Sun Colonnade
It comes ahead of a £240,000 refurbishment of the nearby Sun Pavilion, which is set to be complete by February next year.
The Sun Pavilion improvements include reconstructing the floor, new underfloor heating and insulation as well as new floor coverings.
A spokesperson for the council said:
Vandals attack rare Ripon building for third time this year“The new lights in the Sun Colonnade have been installed to improve and enhance this area of the gardens.
“The energy efficient LED lighting comes on late afternoon and then goes off late at night and will provide lighting to this area for many years to come.
“We have a whole programme of maintenance and improvements in Valley Gardens this winter, including steam cleaning the Sun Colonnade and removing some of the heavy ivy from the roof to allow more light through and other vines to flourish, as well as installing tree lights along Lime Tree Walk.
“Valley Gardens is both popular with residents and visitors and we want to enhance the use of this beautiful space to allow us to do more in the future.”
Ripon’s rare cabmen’s shelter on Market Square has been vandalised for the third time in seven months.
City police were informed yesterday evening after it was discovered that the locked door of the shelter had been forced open.
This caused damage to the door frame of the Grade II listed building.
The Mayor of Ripon Councillor Eamon Parkin, who visited the scene yesterday evening, told the Stray Ferret:
“This is the third time that I have been called out to see the wilful and mindless damage that has been caused to the shelter by vandals.
“They clearly have no consideration for anybody else’s property and I just hope that with the CCTV we have in place in the city centre, the police will look through the footage, identify those involved and make arrests.”
The shelter, which dates back to 1911 and is the only moveable listed building in the country, also had windows broken by vandals in March and June.
The Ripon Civic Society plaque on the shelter’s door.
The shelter, which is owned by Ripon City Council, underwent a major refurbishment costing £22,000 before being returned to Market Square in September 2020.
Ripon has suffered from recurring incidents of violent and anti-social behaviour ranging from assaults to attacks on property.
Last week, North Yorkshire Police launched a survey designed to call on the views of local people into the issues affecting the city.
The survey asks residents for their views on alcohol-related litter, young people drinking in public places, young people being rowdy and asking for adults to buy alcohol for them.
A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said:
“We’re keen to hear your thoughts on the issues around young people and alcohol in your community.
“We’re working with the organisation Community Alcohol Partnerships to bring local partners together to discuss, tackle and protect our community from anti-social behaviour often caused by underage drinking
“The first step in this process is to find out local residents’ views and thoughts on the issue so it’s really important we get as many people to take part in the survey as possible.”
People can have their say by clicking or tapping here.
Starbeck residents raise anti-social behaviour concerns
Starbeck residents have raised concerns about the level of anti-social behaviour, particularly around the level crossing.
Local councillors and community leaders have received reports of various activities, ranging from late night gatherings to illegal parking.
They are keen for North Yorkshire Police to send more officers to patrol the area to combat the issue.
However, Cllr Tim Myatt, the Conservative representative for High Harrogate, urged anyone with concerns to report them to the police so officers are aware of the scale of the problem. He said:
“Cllr Nigel Middlemass and I are aware of residents’ concerns and we would encourage residents to contact the local police team to log incidents.
“We would like to see an increased police presence in the area to deter unwelcome activity.
“So we encourage residents to report any concerns to the police on the 101 number or via the police website.”
Charlotte Barker, vice-chair of the Starbeck Residents’ Association, said:
“The Starbeck Residents’ Association recognises that local people are rightly concerned about anti-social behaviour in our area.
“That’s why we have shared residents’ concerns with relevant local organisations and are regularly in touch with the police about these issues on behalf of local people.”
Andrew Hart, who owns the Red Box Post Office on Starbeck High Street, added:
Are you concerned about anti-social behaviour in Ripon?“Policing is a major issue as the local team clock-off at 7pm and are rarely seen during the day. Starbeck continues to be used as a dumping ground.
“Left alone, the homeless hostel residents would be fine but they are not left alone. Improved policing in other parts of the region now means that Starbeck is seen as a soft touch.
“We need some action.”
North Yorkshire Police has launched a survey to try and tackle anti-social behaviour in Ripon.
The police have asked for as many people who live in Ripon as possible to respond so officers can decide on the next steps to take.
Ripon’s anti-social behaviour have been in the spotlight for well over a year. Ripon City Council sought to join forces with the police in November 2020 but the problem has persisted.
This survey comes just a day after a 21-year-old man was jailed for his part in a knifepoint robbery, which he carried out during the day outside the Ship Inn on Bondgate.
The robber threatened a teenage boy with a knife and said if he “did not hand everything over, he would be shanked”, York Crown Court heard yesterday.
North Yorkshire Police believe that anti-social behaviour is often caused by underage drinking so is working with Community Alcohol Partnerships on the survey.
Have your say by clicking or tapping here.
The survey asks residents for their views on alcohol related litter, young people drinking in public places, young people being rowdy and asking for adults to buy alcohol for them.
A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said:
Police investigate spate of violence and anti-social behaviour in Ripon“We’re keen to hear your thoughts on the issues around young people and alcohol in your community.
“We’re working with the organisation Community Alcohol Partnerships to bring local partners together to discuss, tackle and protect our community from anti-social behaviour often caused by underage drinking.
“The first step in this process is to find out local resident’s views and thoughts on the issue so it’s really important we get as many people to take part in the survey as possible.”
Police investigating a spate of anti-social behaviour offences in Ripon have called on the public to help them bring the perpetrators to justice.
North Yorkshire Police said a “small group of people” were causing issues in the city and that violence and anti-social behaviour “will not be tolerated”.
The plea comes after officers arrested a fifth man in connection with a knifepoint robbery outside the Ship Inn, Bondgate, in the city.
The force said today that it had stepped up patrols in the city after launching investigations into four separate incidents.
The offences include:
Officers have called on anyone with any information or CCTV footage from those areas to come forward to help their investigations.
Inspector Alex Langley, North Yorkshire Police, said:
“Violence and anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated in Ripon and we are doing all we can to bring those responsible for the events over the past week to justice.
“We have stepped up patrols in the area but we also need your help. We would like to hear from anyone who has CCTV covering Bondgate, Southgate, Mawson Lane and surrounding areas – this could be from a traditional CCTV camera, a video doorbell or dash-cam footage.
“A number of arrests have been made already and I hope this goes someway to reassure the public.
“I would like to thank those who have provided information already and continue to urge people to report any acts of anti-social behaviour or other crimes to police.”
Detective superintendent Steve Thomas, said:
Ripon police and fire station gets £1.2m upgrade“Following the success of local policing operations to reduce anti-social behaviour in Ripon over recent months these latest incidents are disappointing.
“We are determined that this small group of individuals are held to account for behaviour that harms the quality of life for everyone else. Local residents will see an increase in police presence over the coming days and we want to reassure you that we will do everything necessary to tackle this isolated problem.”
Philip Allott, the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, has announced a £1,162,000 upgrade for the building shared by Ripon’s police and fire officers since 2018.
The spending will improve facilities deemed ‘no longer fit for purpose’ at the Stonebridgegate site.
Following a fact-finding visit to the city in June, Mr Allott (pictured below) said he would give police officers the resources they needed to tackle crime.
A statement, which has now been issued by his office, said plans for refurbishment had stalled due to ‘site complications’.
It added:
“This has now come to a head and the current accommodation is no longer fit for purpose for either service.”
Under the county’s previous crime commissioner, Julia Mulligan, the city’s former police station on North Street was sold to a private developer.
In 2014, a conditional agreement for the disposal was signed and North Yorkshire Police pledged to provide new ‘fit for purpose’ premises within 18 months.
But this did not materialise and in February 2018 the Ripon policing team moved to the fire station.
This subsequently raised concerns among city councillors and members of the public about the ability of the police, with its limited resources and cramped accommodation, to handle a spike in anti-social behaviour, vandalism and other crime.
The statement issued by Mr Allott’s office added:
“An options assessment has been conducted to develop a suitable solution in conjunction with key stakeholders across the two services.
“A modular build on the current site to provide accommodation, with continued use of the appliance bays and tower, has been determined as the most suitable option which delivers a good medium-term solution in a reasonable timescale, and which provides the best value for money to the public purse.”