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.
No. 13: The swift downfall of crime commissioner Philip AllottIn this article, which is part of a series on the 15 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2021, we look at the resignation and subsequent fallout of former North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Philip Allott.
The spotlight shone more intensely than ever in 2021 on one of the district’s lesser known political positions.
Elections for North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner are characterised by low turnout, with many voters questioning the value of the role.
The commissioner is paid £74,000 to hold the county’s chief constable and chief fire officer to account, and receives a budget of £1.1 million. But the level of scrutiny towards the role elevated dramatically this year.
It all started routinely enough when Knaresborough man Philip Allott was elected to succeed fellow Conservative Julia Mulligan in May.
Mr Allott made an energetic start, pledging action on issues such as pet theft and antisocial driving. But his downfall would be swift.
In an interview on BBC Radio York in September, he said Sarah Everard, who had been murdered by police officer Wayne Couzens, should not have “submitted” to arrest and that women “need to be streetwise” about arrest powers.
Hundreds of complaints were sent to the commissioner’s office, which found itself under more scrutiny than it ever had in its nine-year existence.
On a near daily basis, politicians lined up to condemn Mr Allott, with Labour leader Keir Starmer among those calling for his resignation.
Lucy Arnold, from campaign group Reclaim The Streets, said Mr Allott’s comments were “horrifically offensive”.
Mr Allott apologised but resigned days later as the storm continued. The time span from his comments on-air to his stepping down was just 13 days.
Mr Allott acknowledged that his position was untenable because of the confidence he lost from both the public and by his fellow politicians.
Weeks later Zoe Metcalfe, a Conservative councillor on Harrogate Borough Council and of North Yorkshire County Council who lives at Aldborough, was elected as the new commissioner. Turnout was just 14%.
Knaresborough’s Zoe Metcalfe pledges to be ‘people’s commissioner’ in £74,000 crime roleThe third North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner this year has said on her first day in the £74,000 job that she is confident of being able to handle the intense scrutiny that comes with the role.
Zoe Metcalfe said she wanted to be “very visible” and would use her experience as a North Yorkshire county councillor and as deputy mayor of the Harrogate district to become “the people’s commissioner”.
Both of Ms Metcalfe’s predecessors faced severe criticism over their communications with both their own staff and residents, despite having backgrounds in public relations.
Philip Allott resigned last month after making controversial comments about women. The overwhelming majority of his 32-strong team of staff signed a letter saying they had no confidence in him, accusing him of making “sexist and misogynistic comments” towards female colleagues.
Julia Mulligan, who stepped down from the role in May, accepted a recommendation to regularly survey her staff about bullying and be supported by a mentor in the “challenging and difficult role” after being accused of levelling “constant criticisms” and “humiliating” comments.
Since Ms Metcalfe was elected on Friday, opposition councillors have questioned how she would deal with the pressure of the role, particularly as she had been “almost invisible” at the county council.
County council opposition leader Cllr Stuart Parsons said:
“Zoe is an unknown quantity. When I read on an election leaflet that she was a county councillor I had to look her up because I had not heard her in any debates, apart from obeying the party line. She has been in a public forum for a number of years, but nobody knows who she is or what she is.
“She could be one of those people who has hidden her light under many bushels and she may come out and surprise us, but it is quite difficult to understand how she is going to fulfil the role because all her leaflet said was only women matter. I understand the focus on women, but it would appear all men in North Yorkshire don’t fit into her plan.”
At a media briefing, Ms Metcalfe highlighted how the first appointment had been to meet with victims’ support groups at the force’s Northallerton headquarters, even before meeting with the chief constable and chief fire officer.
She said:
“I want to be very visible. I will be on the market squares and in the supermarkets, visiting residents and getting their views.”
The Conservative Knaresborough councillor said her first actions would be to bolster victims services, crime prevention work with schools and further action to aid those suffering domestic abuse.
She said:
“I have been a district and county councillor since 2015, I’ve stood for two general elections, I’ve been deputy mayor of Harrogate District for two years and a governor of Harrogate Hospital, so I‘m quite happy with scrutiny. I want to work in a very transparent way and very much have an open-door policy.
“My style is getting out and talking to people. I want people to feel I am very approachable. It’s about embracing the role, taking it forward and making sure people trust in the role to deliver for them.
“I am very firmly here as the people’s commissioner. I am here to represent the residents of North Yorkshire and York when we are having those conversations and will hold the public services to account, but working with them too to achieve their goals is really important.”
Ms Metcalfe said she would be meeting her staff this week and would remain a district and county councillor until the May elections as she did not want public money to be spent on a by-election.
A candidate for the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC) by-election has launched her manifesto with a single policy.
Dr Hannah Barham-Brown, on behalf of the Women’s Equality Party (WEP), has written a manifesto with a single policy to end violence against women and girls.
She unveiled her manifesto today at Oatlands community centre in Harrogate before she said she would bring a revolutionary approach to the role of PFCC.
The WEP candidate then said she would work with politicians to urge them to do more for women concerned about the threats they face.
Dr Hannah Barham-Brown said:
“I am contesting this election for one reason and for one reason only: to put ending violence against women and girls front and centre in our policing and political priorities in North Yorkshire, and I challenge all of my fellow candidates to join me in this.
“So far in the campaign, I’ve seen other candidates pay lip-service to ending violence, but offering no clear plan on how they’ll do so. Enough is enough.
“While this doesn’t mean I won’t engage with residents’ concerns on a wide range of topics, it does mean I will be singularly focused on ending violence in my campaign.”
During her speech Dr Barham-Brown added that women and girls had been badly let down by Philip Allott, who stepped down as PFCC after his comments on the Sarah Everard case.
If elected, she has pledged to fund specialist support for those who have reported abuse or sexual violence, introduce an expert scrutiny panel for rape and sexual violence cases.
Her plan also includes rooting out misogyny in the police force, addressing racism in domestic abuse cases and guaranteeing that migrant women have access to specialist support.
She added:
“This violence is not inevitable, but we are at this point because of a total failure of political leadership.
“Politicians of all parties are consistently failing to show up for women, except when it’s already too late.
“Women and girls deserve a PFCC who focuses on ending violence against women – not just managing it – every day and not just when it hits the headlines.
“I promise to deliver that. Women and girls in North Yorkshire deserve to live free from threat and fear of violence, and with the right political leadership we can make that happen.”
The election of North Yorkshire PFCC will be held on November 25.
Acting police commissioner confirmed after Philip Allott resignationJennifer Newberry has been appointed acting North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner after the resignation of Philip Allott.
Ms Newberry, who is a staff member in the commissioner’s office, will take temporary charge for just three weeks ahead of an election to appoint a successor.
The move follows Mr Allott’s resignation last month over comments in the wake of the murder of Sarah Everard.
Councillors on the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel voted unanimously to approve Ms Newberry taking temporary charge yesterday.
Ms Newberry told the panel:
“I’m really proud to have my name put forward to be acting commissioner in this interim period.
“I am committed to working collegiately with the executive management team during this period.”
Simon Dennis, chief executive of the Office of the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, said:
“Jenni is a public servant of the highest calibre with a background in making a positive difference to the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.
“She deservedly has the support of the panel to serve as acting commissioner, a role which must be filled from within the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner. The whole team will support her to succeed, and I thank her for her dedication, commitment and integrity in putting herself forward.”
A successor to Mr Allott will be elected on November 25 when voters head to the polls.
Candidates for the election have been confirmed with the Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Women’s Equality Party and an Independent all standing.
Voters have until November 9 to register to vote. Further details about voting are here.
The full list of candidates is:
Vetting procedures for North Yorkshire Police officers have been set out in a new report that aims to reassure residents following the murder of Sarah Everard.
The report by the Office of the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner follows its chief executive Simon Dennis saying last month he was not certain about some legal rules regarding the issue.
Resident Susan Galloway had questioned whether the North Yorkshire police, fire and crime panel, which scrutinises the commissioner, believed there were sufficient background checks on new recruits and police staff transferring to the North Yorkshire force and if the processes were adequate.
The report highlights how North Yorkshire Police carries out checks on all new recruits, from officers to volunteers, and also enhanced the vetting of transferees a year ago “to ensure we know as much as can be disclosed about the transferee”.
Met Police officer Wayne Couzens, who murdered Ms Everard, had used his warrant card to falsely arrest her just two years after being transferred into the Met from the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, despite having faced indecent exposure allegations.
The concerns were raised hours before Philip Allott resigned as the county’s commissioner after saying Ms Everard “never should have submitted” to arrest by Couzens.
The report outlines how the force follows the College of Policing vetting code so that anyone working on police and fire service property, including contractors, and also those working remotely with access to police systems have their backgrounds checked.
It details how the force also re-vets transferees, regardless of when they were last vetted by previous current force.
The report says:
“The checks on transferees are enhanced by more in-depth questions to their force regarding previous complaints, intelligence held on anti-corruption / integrity unit systems, and performance concerns. We only accept new recruits and transferees once vetting clearance has been attained.
“North Yorkshire Police enhanced our vetting of transferees about one year ago, to ensure we know as much as can be disclosed about the transferee. This included no assumptions over information provided by their existing force that everything would be within the history documents provided.”
The report says the force assigns a vetting researcher to undertake a series of checks and wherever there is “a trace”, more detailed research is completed, the conclusions of which are reported to the force vetting manager.
However, the report states while all applicants are required to declare spent convictions there is no requirement for an applicant who is applying to take on a police staff role such as a receptionist, rather than an officer, to declare a conviction or caution.
Women’s Equality Party puts forward police commissioner candidateThe Women’s Equality Party (WEP) has put forward a candidate for the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC) by-election following the resignation of Philip Allott.
Dr Hannah Barham-Brown, who is well-known for her campaigning work on both women’s and disabled people’s rights, is set to contest the role.
While some candidates for this election stood at the previous election in May when Mr Allott won, this is the first time that Dr Barham-Brown has put herself forward for North Yorkshire’s PFCC.
If elected, she said her first step would be to launch an independent inquiry into misogyny and sexism in North Yorkshire Police.
Dr Barham-Brown, the Women’s Equality Party candidate for the North Yorkshire PFCC by-election said:
“If elected as PFCC I will put ending violence against women and girls at the top of the policing and political agenda.
“Women and girls in North Yorkshire deserve to live their lives free from the fear and the threat of violence, and that is why I am contesting this election.
“We were let down by Philip Allott as our PFCC who proved he didn’t understand the importance of ending violence against women and girls with his disgraceful, victim blaming comments.
“But our community did not accept that and now it’s time to finish the job.”
The PFCC is being held following the resignation of Mr Allott, who stepped down after his comments on the murder of Sarah Everard led to hundreds of official complaints and a vote of no confidence.
Voters will head to the polls to elect a new police commissioner on November 25.
Mandu Reid, leader of the Women’s Equality Party, added:
“Ending gender-based violence must be at the heart of this election, so we can build a better future for women and girls in North Yorkshire.
“I am delighted that Dr Hannah Barham-Brown is contesting this election for the Women’s Equality Party.
“We need real political leadership that focuses on accountability and preventing violence against women, not just managing it.”
A staff member from the Office of the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner is set to be appointed interim head of the organisation.
Jenni Newberry, head of commissioning and partnerships, will succeed Philip Allott, who resigned after his comments on the murder of Sarah Everard.
The move will be formalised at the next meeting of the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel on November 4.
Ms Newberry is likely to be in post for just three weeks until a full-time successor is elected on November 25.
So far only Conservative candidate Zoe Metcalfe and independent candidate Keith Tordoff have been nominated for the PFCC election.
Simon Dennis, chief executive of the Office of the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, said:
“The panel will be asked to consider a proposal that the commissioner’s office be run by Jenni Newberry as part of a team approach.
“If approved, Mrs Newberry would take up the position, working alongside myself and assistant chief executives Tom Thorp and Caroline Blackburn, until the newly elected commissioner assumes the role following their election.”
Mr Allott, who lives in Knaresborough and was elected in May, said Ms Everard should not have “submitted” to arrest by the police officer who murdered her and that women needed to be more “streetwise”.
Philip Allott’s successor to be elected on November 25Philip 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.
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.
Bishop of Ripon: Police boss has ‘done the right thing’ to resignThe Bishop of Ripon says North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Philip Allott has “done the right thing” in resigning after his comments on the Sarah Everard case.
However, Dr Helen-Ann Hartley said Mr Allott should not have delayed his decision and resigned “immediately” after he urged women to be “streetwise” about arrest powers in a BBC Radio York interview on October 1.
Mr Allott, who was elected in May, sparked outrage after also saying Ms Everard never should have “submitted” to arrest by killer police officer Wayne Couzens.
The Conservative commissioner faced increasing pressure to quit, but only did so after hundreds of complaints and a vote of no confidence by the county’s Police, Fire and Crime Panel yesterday.
Speaking after this, Dr Hartley said:
“He should have resigned immediately because I felt pretty much straight away his position had become untenable.
“I was surprised he did not do this and did not have the sufficient self-awareness to realise he had completely undermined credibility in his role.
“Now, we need to ensure that the issues brought to the fore by the horrific murder of Sarah Everard are followed up with some degree of urgency.”
Dr Hartley also said Mr Allott’s resignation highlighted a flaw in the system as unlike MPs, there is no legislation to recall police commissioners.
She said:
“This sheds light on the fact that it is difficult, if not impossible, to remove somebody from this post.
“The fact it got as far as it did, particularly to the vote of no confidence, exposes a flaw in the system of how people in elected roles like this can be held to account for the things they say.”
Meanwhile, Cllr Pat Marsh, leader of the Liberal Democrats on Harrogate Borough Council, said:
“The Harrogate Lib Dems are so pleased that Philip Allott has eventually seen sense and done the right thing and resigned from his role as Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.
“His position was untenable after his highly insensitive remarks made about Female behaviour in the wake of the tragic death of Sarah Everard. After the unanimous vote of no confidence in Mr Allott by the County’s Police, Fire and Crime Panel it was difficult for him to continue in the role.”
Just hours after yesterday’s vote of no confidence, Mr Allott announced his resignation in a letter saying he spent the past two weeks trying “to rebuild trust and confidence”, but would “do the decent thing” and leave his post.
He later tweeted:
“After the Police and Crime Panel meeting today, I have subsequently tendered my resignation as I have become the story, and therefore a distraction to protecting victims of violence.
“I am so sorry I cannot deliver on my program of preventing male violence against women and girls. Doing what’s right is hard.”
Another meeting of the Police, Fire and Crime Panel will now be arranged to appoint an interim Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, while plans are put in place for another election.