Zoe Metcalfe’s term as North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner ended at midnight last night after the role was transferred to the new Mayor of York and North Yorkshire.
Labour’s David Skaith, who won the inaugural mayoral election on Friday, will now take on responsibilities for policing and crime.
Ms Metcalfe, a Conservative who held the post since November 2021, was the final directly elected commissioner for the county.
She was elected after the departure of Philip Allott, who succeeded fellow Tory Julia Mulligan — the county’s first commissioner from 2012 to 2021.
David Skaith, newly elected Mayor of York and North Yorkshire who will take on the commissioner’s responsibilities.
Ms Metcalfe pledged to tackle issues such as violence against women and girls.
She also oversaw the controversial introduction of the risk and resource model for the fire service, which included plans to cut the number of overnight fire engines based in Harrogate from two to one.
The move was met with criticism from the North Yorkshire Fire Brigades Union, which warned that such a decision would lead to a “second-rate emergency response service that will put lives at risk”.
The Stray Ferret requested an interview with Ms Metcalfe to reflect on her tenure as commissioner, but a spokesperson for her office said she was unavailable due to “the volume of her commitments in her final few days”.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Ms Metcalfe said it had been an “absolute privilege and pleasure” to represent York and North Yorkshire.
As I step down from my role as Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner at midnight, it has been an absolute privilege and pleasure to represent the communities of York & North Yorkshire. Congratulations to @DSkaith and best wishes for your term in office.
— Zoë Metcalfe (@zoe_metcalfe1) May 6, 2024
The commissioner’s office has now been rebranded the York and North Yorkshire Office for Policing, Fire, Crime and Commissioning after the mayoral election.
Mr Skaith is expected to make a decision on whether to appoint a deputy mayor to take on policing and crime powers.
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Tim Forber set to be North Yorkshire’s new top cop
Tim Forber, the current deputy chief constable of South Yorkshire Police, has been named as the preferred candidate to become the next chief constable of North Yorkshire Police.
Zoë Metcalfe, the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for York and North Yorkshire, today announced she had identified Mr Forber to succeed Lisa Winward, who is retiring from the £154,000-a-year role at the end of March next year.
The appointment has been mired in controversy because Ms Metcalfe’s role will be abolished shortly after the candidate she hired is appointed.
The commissioner’s role will be taken over by whoever is elected Mayor of York and North Yorkshire in May 2024.
It means the new mayor will inherit a chief constable they didn’t appoint.
Lisa Winward will retire on March 31.
Ms Metcalfe rejected advice to delay the appointment by North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel, which scrutinises her performance.
The Conservative commissioner has also complained about Tory mayoral candidate Keane Duncan, who she claimed used “inappropriate language” to influence her chief constable recruitment. An investigation found no wrongdoing.
Today Ms Metcalfe’s office issued a statement which said Mr Forber had been selected “following a robust recruitment process” that ended yesterday.
The two-day process on December 11 and 12 involved a presentation to local internal and external stakeholders, a media exercise and a panel interview. It also included candidates having to design a presentation based on the results of an online survey conducted by Ms Metcalfe.
‘The right qualities’
Mr Forber joined South Yorkshire Police as assistant chief constable in December 2016 and was promoted to deputy chief constable in June 2021.
Ms Metcalfe will now put Mr Forber to the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel on January 11.
Ms Metcalfe said:
“His depth of experience and commitment to collaboration and local neighbourhood policing across rural and urban areas was clear from the interview process.
“I have every confidence he has the right qualities to drive forward North Yorkshire Police to be an outstanding service and to keep people safe and feeling safe.”
Mr Forber said:
“I am hugely honoured to be selected as the preferred candidate to be the next chief constable of North Yorkshire Police. I am looking forward to working tirelessly on behalf of the communities of York and North Yorkshire to ensure they have an outstanding police service. “
Read more:
- Police commissioner Zoe Metcalfe rejects appointing interim chief constable
- Commissioner complains over Tory mayoral candidate ‘inappropriate language’ claim
- North Yorkshire chief constable announces retirement
Knaresborough’s ex-crime commissioner launches victims’ charity
Knaresborough’s former crime commissioner Philip Allott is leading a new national charity that will support victims of crimes committed by emergency service staff.
Blue Light Whistle Blowers is in the process of being registered as a charitable incorporated organisation by the Charity Commission.
It will support victims of crimes committed by staff in policing, ambulance trusts and fire and rescue services and advise them on pursuing whistleblowing allegations but will not investigate claims itself.
The organisation, which is seeking a chief executive, aims to generate £100,000 a year to fund its work.
Mr Allott, who resigned as the Conservative North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner in 2021 following comments about the murder of Sarah Everard, said he decided to get involved because emergency services crimes were under-reported.
A telephone hotline and online portal will be set up this year to enable victims to confidentially report wrongdoing.
The organisation said in a statement:
“The charity aims to be the voice of victims and their families and won’t hesitate where necessary to challenge the status quo.
“The charity aim is to hold chief constables, chief fire officers and ambulance trusts to account for these crimes and will produce league tables highlighting the best and worst affected services within the country.”
The service is due to go live in the autumn, initially based on a number of areas including London before it is rolled out nationally.
Bob Blackman (left) and Philip Allott
Mr Allott, chair of the organisation, said:
“Blue Light Whistle Blowers has been set up to be the voice of the voiceless and the silenced. Whistleblowers will support the victims and give them a voice, as for too long they have received little if any support.”
Those involved met MPs and peers, including Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative MP Andrew Jones and Lord Harrogate Timothy Kirkhope at the House of Commons last month, at an event sponsored by Bob Blackman MP, the Conservative MP for Harrow East.
The main picture shows the trustees with Andrew Jones MP. They are (left to right) Tim Cook, Kathy Cox, Guy Phoenix, Philip Allott, Andrew Jones and Adele Winkley.
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Fewer than half of 999 calls in North Yorkshire being answered on time
Just 44% of 999 calls in North Yorkshire are being answered on time, according to figures in a new report.
The report by the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner‘s office said the national target is for 90% of 999 calls to be answered in under 10 seconds.
But between November 2021 and November 2022, only 44% were answered within this time in the county.
The document also revealed that between February and December 2022, the average non-emergency 101 call answer time ranged from 4 minutes and 3 seconds to 10 minutes and 17 seconds. Unlike for 999 calls, nationally there is no imposed target for answering 101 calls.
Police, fire and crime commissioner Zoe Metcalfe has described the figures as “unacceptable”.
Her office has awarded the force control room a £1.8 million a year to improve the times.
The report, which will be debated by North Yorkshire County Council‘s police, fire and crime panel on February 6, said:
“This investment will enable the Chief Constable to fund 36 additional communications officers, 12 additional dispatchers, six established trainers and two additional police inspectors.”
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The document highlights how call volume has increased, saying:
“Nationally there has been a 16% increase in 999 calls to the police, and 2022 saw the highest number of emergency calls to North Yorkshire Police ever in one month (over 10,000 in July and August).”
The report also said the commissioner “wants the force to explore how they could deliver a long-term programme of public education and awareness about when to contact the police, and the most appropriate method for doing so”.
North Yorkshire Police usually receives over 10,000 emergency 999 calls a month.
Free home security upgrade scheme opens in Harrogate district
A scheme for some Harrogate district villagers to improve the security of their homes opens today.
The Protect Your Home scheme aims to prevent burglaries on the district’s border with West Yorkshire. Grants are available for new locks for doors, windows, garages and sheds as well as alarm systems for farms.
For homes with suitable WiFi coverage, the scheme also includes a RING video doorbell.
£719,590 is available in total with over 1,000 homes and 90 farms eligible. It is funded by the government and administered by the office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner North Yorkshire.
Residents living in Harrogate district villages Hopperton, Kirk Deighton, Kirk Hammerton, Leathley, Long Marston, North Deighton, Sicklinghall, Spofforth with Stockeld can apply.
Residents will receive a registration pack through the post over the next six weeks and can sign up at www.protectyourhome.org.uk.
Conservative Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire, Zoë Metcalfe, said:
“Burglary can leave people feeling vulnerable, frightened and distressed, the best way of deterring criminals from the entire community is for as many residents as possible to sign up and make their properties more secure so please sign up as soon as possible.”
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City council to make formal complaint about policing in Ripon
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.”
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- Ripon police and fire station gets £1.2m upgrade
- North Yorkshire Police slow to answer non-emergency calls
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:
Commissioner candidates questioned: how to stop speeding“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.”
In the fourth of a series of articles on crime issues in the Harrogate district, candidates standing to be North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner are questioned on how to stop speeding.
Commissioner candidates vying to become North Yorkshire’s next Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner say they would launch a hard-hitting educational campaign, pressure for more 20mph limits and even consider drafting in firefighters to help tackle residents’ number one concern – speeding.
Ahead of the residents of York and North Yorkshire going to the polls on Thursday to decide who gets the £74,00-a-year role, the five candidates wanting to succeed Philip Allott, who resigned last month amid controversy, have spoken of their determination to get to grips with road safety enforcement and education.
During his time in the role Mr Allott enlisted academics to help tackle speeding on more than 6,000 miles of roads and in 800 villages, saying demand for enforcement was outstripping police resources.
Most of the 72 county councillors agree speeding, and in particular through villages, is the most common issue that residents raise with them.
While fixed speed cameras have repeatedly been deemed an unsuitable solution for the largely rural county, the force has insisted its 12 mobile speed camera vans are used to deter speeding at sites of accidents.
The county’s first commissioner, Julia Mulligan, frequently defended the use of the vans and denied they were being used as a revenue generator, despite many residents, councillors and even former police traffic officers believing the contrary.
Independent
Independent candidate Keith Tordoff said enforcement was not the only answer to tackling speeding and that he would develop new ways of dealing with road safety, involving interaction from other agencies such as North Yorkshire County Council. He said he would examine whether the Fire & Rescue Service could help.
He added he was a supporter of the 20’s Plenty scheme, but was only in favour of reducing speed limits on roads near schools, high streets and where the community overwhelmingly wants to.
Labour
Labour candidate Emma Scott-Spivey said she was backing 20’s Plenty as “road safety is a huge issue across North Yorkshire – not just in built up areas but on our country lanes and major highways”.
She said:
“Some argue that spending money on reducing speeds and improving road safety should not be an expense of fighting ‘real crime’. I don’t agree at all. We must do everything we can to reduce speeds, reduce accidents and reduce fatalities. Police officers and firefighters agree those are very real.”
Liberal Democrat
Stopping short of expressly backing 20s Plenty, James Barker, of the Liberal Democrats, highlighted how lower traffic volumes during lockdowns led to some shocking levels of speeding, particularly on 30mph roads.
He said:
“If elected I will oversee a review of the police’s approach to enforcing speed limits, including how mobile speed cameras are deployed and revisiting the issue of fixed speed cameras. I will also explore ways to increase collaboration with local authorities and communities to promote community safety.”
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Conservative
Zoe Metcalfe, who is hoping to become the third Conservative in succession to land the role, said education and more publicity were needed as part of the speeding management strategy.
She said:
“I would like to see an emphasis placed on showing drivers the impacts of their speeding from being an anti-social behaviour, a serious and dangerous activity and how their own lives can be impacted if caught breaking the law.”
Women’s Equality Party
Women’s Equality Party candidate Hannah Barham-Brown, said as a wheelchair user, speeding was a major concern for her.
She added:
“Although reducing speed limits is outside of my remit as Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner I will work with local councils and residents to advocate for road safety and to ensure that residents’ concerns are being heard.”
Philip Allott’s successor as North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner will be elected on Thursday November 25.
Selby District Council, which is running the election, announced the date today.
Candidates must be nominated by October 29 and the their names will be published on November 1.
A briefing for prospective candidates and agents will take place at 4pm on Monday next week.
Voters will go to the polls just six months after Mr Allott, from Knaresborough, was elected to the £74,000-a-year role.
He resigned on Thursday following comments about the Sarah Everard kidnap, rape and murder by a serving Met Police officer.
Councillors passed a motion of no confidence in his leadership and fellow Conservative politicians, including Ripon MP Julian Smith, called for him to resign.
Read more:
In May’s election, the Conservative Mr Allott received 84,737 first and second preference votes.
Labour’s Alison Hume, who received 53,442 total votes, was runner-up.
Ms Hume said on Twitter last week she was “relieved” Mr Allott had resigned but it is not known yet if she will be the Labour candidate again.
The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are also yet to announce their candidates.
Independent Keith Tordoff, who also stood in May’s election and received 22,338 first preference votes, told the Stray Ferret he intends to stand again.