Subscribe to trusted local news
In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.
- Subscription costs less than £1 a week with an annual plan.
Already a subscriber? Log in here.
11
May 2024
What did police and fire commissioner Zoe Metcalfe achieve?
After two-and-a-half years in office, police commissioner Zoe Metcalfe bowed out from public life this past week.
On Monday, the position of North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner was abolished as powers were transferred to the newly created Mayor of York and North Yorkshire.
The decision spelt the end for Ms Metcalfe’s £76,300 a year role, which she was elected to in November 2021 after succeeding fellow Conservative Philip Allott.
Her tenure saw a strategy for violence against women and girls introduced, plus a drive to improve call handling times.
But it also saw Ms Metcalfe oversee a controversial plan to cut the number of overnight fire engines in Harrogate from two to one.
The Stray Ferret requested an interview with the former commissioner to discuss her tenure, but a spokesperson for her office said she was unavailable due to “the volume of her commitments in her final few days”.
In this article, we look at Ms Metcalfe’s time as commissioner and analyse her performance.
999 calls
During her campaign to become commissioner, Ms Metcalfe pledged to improve the performance of North Yorkshire Police - in particular call handling.
The issue was encapsulated by the public routinely complaining about long waits for emergency calls to be answered.
Police reported in January 2023 that fewer than half of 999 calls were being answered on time.
North Yorkshire Police force control room
Between November 2021 and November 2022, only 44% were answered within 10 seconds. The national target for forces is 90%.
Ms Metcalfe made improving response times one of her priorities and announced a £2.5m investment into the control room, which included hiring 50 more staff to ease pressure.
By January this year, the force met the national target for call handling times.
Cllr Chris Aldred, a Liberal Democrat who sits on the North Yorkshire police, fire and crime panel that scrutinised Ms Metcalfe's performance, pointed to the area as a sign of improvement.
He told the Stray Ferret:
However, despite strides in improving the police force, the fire service proved a more contentious service to handle.
Fire cuts opposition
In May 2022, Ms Metcalfe unveiled her risk and resource model, which set out how the fire service will deploy its resources over the next three years. It puts the emphasis on fire prevention, especially during the day when most fires occur.
The plan, which covered the three years from 2022 to 2025, included a proposal to reduce the number of fire engines operating overnight at Harrogate and Scarborough fire stations from two to one.
Read more:
- Zoe Metcalfe departs as crime commissioner
- Tense day ends in clear victory for Labour’s Harrogate-born mayor
- Harrogate fire station changes won’t increase risk to life, says commissioner
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”.
However, in an interview with the Stray Ferret in June 2022, Ms Metcalfe disagreed with the union’s criticism.
She said:
Ms Metcalfe also argued that the proposals meant more resources for fire prevention.
The move came at a time of a bleak financial picture for the service.
Harrogate fire station on Skipton Road.
In January 2022, the Stray Ferret revealed that North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service faced having to borrow up to £31 million to fund new equipment after the government abolished its capital grant.
At the time, Steve Howley, secretary of the North Yorkshire Fire Brigade’s Union, said the service was “struggling to buy the basics”.
He said:
The Stray Ferret approached North Yorkshire Fire Brigade's Union for comment, but had not received a response by the time of publication.
Meanwhile, Ms Metcalfe told councillors during public meetings that she would lobby government for fairer funding, but this appears to have not had the desired effect.
In February, the commissioner recommended to increase the council tax precept for the fire service by 2.99% because it was the maximum increase permitted by government without a referendum.
Cllr Aldred said he felt that the commissioner could have done more to pressure ministers to come up with a better model for financing rural fire services.
He said:
The trials and tribulations which come with scrutinising and commissioning police and fire services now lie with David Skaith, the Labour mayor of York and North Yorkshire.
0