New Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner pledges to be ‘broad church’

Philip Allott has pledged to be “a broad church” and tackle a wide range of concerns after being elected Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire.

With a turnout that was the highest since the post of police and crime commissioner was created in 2012, the Conservative candidate took 47% of the first preference votes – falling short of the requisite 50% – but secured re-election on second preference votes.

After several recounts it was announced he had secured a total of 83,737 first and second preference votes, over 30,000 more than his nearest rival Labour’s Alison Hume.

The first round of voting had seen Liberal Democrat James Barker with 19,773 votes and Independent candidate Keith Tordoff with 22,308 votes eliminated.

As the result over who would have oversight of the police and fire services in the county was announced in the sports hall at Selby College, Mr Allott, who runs a public relations and marketing agency, said he would take on the issues that his rival candidates had raised while campaigning.

He said:

“We live in the best county in England and I hope to make it an even better county.”

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With the exception of the Harrogate district, the result in each of the North Yorkshire districts was the same with Ms Hume coming second in each of the first counts, Independent candidate and Pateley Bridge sweet shop entrepreneur Keith Tordoff has received the third most votes in each area. Harrogate saw Mr Barker come second.

Returning officer Janet Waggott has said there had been 160,025 votes verified for the North Yorkshire and York area, meaning 25.47% of the electorate, higher than the 22% five years ago and almost double that of 2012.

The rural district of Craven, which includes part of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, saw 29.6% of the electorate turn out, while the similarly rural district of Richmondshire, on the other side of the park saw just 23.8% of the electorate vote.

The areas with the largest urban populations, York, Harrogate and Scarborough, saw turnouts of 24.1%, 27.4% and 22% respectively.

Ms Hume, a York-based lecturer and disability campaigner, said she was proud at having run a positive campaign. She welcomed Mr Allott’s pledge to tackle the issues she had raised, and said she looked forward to seeing action over the “epidemic of violence against women and girls”.

Mr Barker, a City of York councillor with 24 years of military service, said:

“I am pleased with the amount of votes I got, which was 6,000 more than the previous Liberal Democrat candidate for this role. I came here with two aims. Not to lose the deposit and to increase the count and we have achieved this.”

After the first count, Mr Tordoff said:

“I am obviously disappointed because I came to win, but to come third is pleasing and over 22,000 people in North Yorkshire voted for me as first preference. It was always going to be a Herculean task against the main political parties.”

Julia Mulligan’s track record as Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner

Julia Mulligan formally began her role as North Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner in November 2012.

Representing the Conservatives, she was the first person to ever hold the newly-created position after beating the Labour Party candidate by 13,000 votes. She receives a salary of £74,400.

The former Craven district councillor was re-elected in 2016, and in 2018 the fire service was added to her brief when she became the North Yorkshire Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner.

She has, at times, been a controversial figure. She’s faced accusations of bullying and has been outspoken on social media.

As Ms Mulligan prepares to leave office after the upcoming election, we explore whether she has delivered on some of her key pledges from 2013, and look at how she has handled issues such as county lines drug dealing and the impact of austerity on the force.

What did she pledge?

Keep North Yorkshire the safest place in England: SUCCESSFUL

According to figures published in April 2020 by the Office for National Statistics, the county is still the lowest crime area in England and Wales, despite a 9% rise in recorded offences.

Ms Mulligan partly put the rise down to a change in the way the force records crimes but said she was “particularly concerned” about a rise in violent crime.

The figures show bicycle theft, vehicle offences and criminal damage are among the crimes that decreased since the previous year.

Continuously improving satisfaction levels and confidence in the police: FAILED

The government’s programme of austerity has meant cuts in funding for police forces across the country and North Yorkshire has been no exception.

Mrs Mulligan championed the rights of victims when she was first elected, but a 2019 study that she commissioned on attitudes towards NYP showed that public confidence was mixed.

It found that 48% of people feel the service is deteriorating, and 44% felt the force was getting worse at responding to crimes quickly.

Ms Mulligan called the results “worrying but not a surprise”.

“It has been clear to me for some time now that the public are concerned about the erosion of local policing services.”

A continued reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads: SUCCESSFUL

Ms Mulligan made reducing deaths and injuries on the roads one of her top priorities when she took office, and there has been a decline over the past decade.

In the year Ms Mulligan took office, 473 people were killed or seriously injured on the roads, which was reduced to 335 in 2019.

The office of the Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner sold the historic AJ1 vehicle registration plate and raised £190,000 to support road safety projects across North Yorkshire and York.

Controversies

Former police HQ at Newby Wiske Hall.

Ms Mulligan’s 2015 decision to sell the police headquarters at Newby Wiske and move to Northallerton was mired in controversy.

It resulted in a High Court challenge from residents of the village after the building was sold to a company that wanted to create a holiday centre for children with 550 guest beds. They said it would “ruin the tranquillity” of the area.

In 2018 she pushed to expand her role and take over the running of the fire service in the county replacing local councils. However, this was unpopular with North Yorkshire County Council, City of York Council and six of the seven district councils who all opposed it.

In October 2018 the North Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel upheld a complaint of bullying against Ms Mulligan. The panel decided that four people had been subjected to bullying behaviour by her during her time in office.

Ms Mulligan responded that she was “shocked and disappointed” and that if there was there a mechanism to appeal, “I would certainly do so”.

In 2019 she faced an inquiry after allegations she instructed a member of her staff to take down links to a convicted kidnapper from her personal Facebook page. She called the allegations “upsetting and untrue”.

Other issues

County lines drug dealing has become a major national issue during Ms Mulligan’s 9 years in office.

In 2019 a National Crime Agency report named Harrogate as an “area of concern” due to county lines drug-dealing in the town. It said Harrogate is the target of seven organised “lines” bringing in drugs.

In response to the report, Ms Mulligan said that government funding had so far failed to tackle the problem and that police couldn’t “arrest their way out of the problem”.

Pateley Bridge police station was sold earlier this year

Another major issue has been the closure of a third of North Yorkshire’s police stations.

Following a freedom of information request, the force revealed 12 staffed stations were closed in the county between February 2010 and February 2020 with Pateley Bridge the latest station to be closed and sold off.

After stations have closed Ms Mulligan has regularly cited cost savings and the ability to reinvest the money into frontline policing.

In February, the Stray Ferret requested an interview with Ms Mulligan to discuss her time in the role, which her office did not respond to.

Additional reporting by Rhys Talbot.

Local elections 2021: Everything you need to know in Harrogate district

There are just 10 days to go until Harrogate district residents head to the polls.

On May 6, voters will choose a new police, fire and crime commissioner for North Yorkshire, as well as a new county councillor for the Bilton and Nidd Gorge division.

Why are elections taking place?

A full election for all seats on North Yorkshire County Council was scheduled for next week but has been cancelled because of plans to reorganise the county’s local government structure.

The government is expected to announce elections for a new unitary council or councils, which will replace the current two-tier system in North Yorkshire, will instead happen in 2022.

Meanwhile, the Bilton and Nidd Gorge election is being held following the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Geoff Webber.

Next week will mark the third time that police and crime commissioner elections have been held since the role was created in 2012. The election was originally due to take place in May last year but was postponed by the pandemic.

There are no elections to Harrogate Borough Council but the authority is in charge of collecting votes and has announced a number of changes will be in place due to covid.

Who can vote and how?

Voters in the elections must be 18 or over on the day of the election.

All voters must be registered at an address in the area where they want to vote, be a British citizen, an Irish or EU citizen or an eligible Commonwealth citizen and not legally excluded from voting.

There are three ways to vote, including in person at a polling station, by postal vote and by nominating someone to vote for you (a proxy vote).

The deadlines to register to vote and for a postal vote have passed, while people can still apply for a proxy vote up until 5pm tomorrow (April 27.)

People voting in person will be required to bring their own pen or pencil, wear a face covering, clean their hands when entering and leaving, and keep a safe distance from others.

Voters should not attend the polling station if they have symptoms of covid or if they have been asked to self-isolate.

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Anyone who develops symptoms, or is asked to self-isolate shortly before polling day, has up to 5pm on polling day to apply for an emergency proxy vote.

Wallace Sampson, chief executive of Harrogate Borough Council and local returning officer for the police, fire and crime commissioner election, said:

“You do not need your poll card to vote, however, we encourage voters to bring it with them to make the process quicker and more efficient.

“Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm on May 6. If you have opted to vote by post you must return your postal ballot pack by 10pm. You can hand it in at any polling station if you don’t have time to return it by post.

“Please also check the information on your polling card, as your polling station might have changed since the last elections.”

Where can I vote?

A number of polling stations across the Harrogate district have temporarily and permanently moved locations following a review, which found some did not have warm running water for hand-washing, were too small for social distancing or were unavailable to be booked.

The following polling stations have moved temporarily:

· All Saints Church School has moved to Sicklinghall Village Hall
· Baldersby Mission Room has moved to Rainton Village Hall
· Lofthouse Memorial Hall has moved to Middlesmoor Village Hall
· St Mary’s Church at Dunsforth has moved to Boroughbridge Methodist Church
· St Michael’s all Angels Church at Wilsill has moved to Broadbelt Hall, Glasshouses
· The Inn at South Stainley has moved to Markington Village Hall
· The Kitchen, Asenby Hall has moved to Rainton Village Hall
· Woodside, Carters Lane has moved to Askwith Village Hall
· Nun Monkton Primary School has moved to Kirk Hammerton Village Hall
· St George’s Social Club has moved to Marks Church Hall

The following three polling stations have also permanently moved;
· North Rigton Primary School has moved to St John’s Church, North Rigton
· The Hydro has moved to Jennyfield Evangelical Church, Grantley Drive
· Citizen’s Advice Bureau has moved to The Wesley Centre, Oxford Street

Who is standing?

There are four candidates in the running to succeed Julia Mulligan as North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

These include Philip Allott (Conservative), Alison Hume (Labour), James Barker (Liberal Democrat) and Keith Tordoff (Independent).

Those standing in the Bilton and Nidd Gorge by-election include Matt Scott (Conservative), Andrew Kempston-Parkes (Liberal Democrat), Arnold Warneken (Green Party), Tyler Reeton (Labour), John Hall (Yorkshire Party) and Harvey Alexander (Independent).

For more information and how to apply for a proxy vote, click or tap here:

New CEO of North Yorkshire police commissioner set to take office

The incoming chief executive of the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner’s office has pledged to challenge senior figures.

Lawyer Simon Dennis, who served for more than six years in the role at controversy-hit Cleveland Police, was endorsed to become chief executive by the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel.

He told the panel he had been closely involved with the departure of Cleveland Police’s chief constable Mike Veale.

Mr Veale resigned in 2019 after a police watchdog investigation found he had lied about a smashed mobile phone.

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The panel, which has previously highlighted concerns in the way commissioner Julia Mulligan interacted with her staff, told Mr Dennis his role would be “pivotal” in working alongside the commissioner.

Ahead of the panel endorsing Mr Dennis in the £90,000-a-year role, Ripon councillor Mike Chambers asked Mr Dennis to give examples of how he had challenged the course of action set out by a superior.

He replied challenging senior figures was “part of the day-to-day thrust of the role”.

Mr Dennis added that while working with the Cleveland and North Yorkshire commissioners, he had “a number of opportunities to robustly advise around difficult and controversial issues”.

He said although the previous Cleveland chief constable had resigned amidst controversy and publicity, it was less well known that he had advised then commissioner Barry Coppinger on “how those matters were to be grappled with”.

Mr Dennis said:

“We were able to find a solution to that set of circumstances involving the chief constable’s resignation, which while not a high point in the organisation’s reputational history was able to command public confidence.

“It is very rarely appropriate to be absolutist in your advice and to seek to intervene in an unhelpful way.”

Mrs Mulligan told the panel Mr Dennis had been the outstanding candidate to apply for the role “by some way”.

After the meeting, the panel’s chairman, Cllr Carl Les said:

“All chief executives have to have that ability that they will provide advice and sometimes that advice can also be a challenge to what us politicians want to do.

“I think the panel were very satisfied with Simon Dennis’ responses to our questions.”

Is dog theft increasing in Harrogate district?

North Yorkshire’s police and crime commissioner has asked pet owners in the county to give their views on dog thefts in a national survey.

It follows a spate of high-profile incidents nationally, which has led to Home Secretary Priti Patel to consider harsher penalties for offenders.

Julia Mulligan, North Yorkshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, said the issue was becoming “more of a concern”.

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The survey, which is being run by the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, aims to find out how widespread the fear of dog theft is and if there is support for tougher enforcement.

Mrs Mulligan said:

“I know that dog theft is becoming more of a concern for many people after a series of high-profile incidents across the country so it’s important owners across North Yorkshire and York have their say in this survey.

“It is still not common, but its impacts can be devastating both for individuals and families whose dogs are part of the family and for farmers and rural businesses where dogs have play a crucial role in everything they do.”

The survey will be open until March 12 and people can give their views here.

North Yorkshire police prepare for ‘influx of visitors’ as lockdown eases

Police are preparing for an influx of visitors to North Yorkshire when lockdown restrictions are relaxed, says the county’s police commissioner.

Julia Mulligan, North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, said the force was already having discussions about policing when the rules change from March 8.

Ms Mulligan told North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel yesterday:

“We have had quite a lot of discussions around all of this, in particular lockdown fatigue.

“The combination of lockdown fatigue, the relaxation of the rules and the warming of the weather means that we could face a considerable influx of visitors over the coming weeks.

“That is going to be something that police are going to be thinking very carefully about because they think it will test the will of the public to maintain the current restrictions.”

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Ms Mulligan added that visitors to the county already made up a large proportion of fines handed out by officers.

Of 830 fixed penalty notices issued by North Yorkshire Police to February 14 for being outside without good reason, 83% were to visitors.

Ms Mulligan told the panel the vast majority of visitors to the county were from West Yorkshire and Cleveland.

Last week, police fined an unnamed person for driving 200 miles from Glasgow to Harrogate to meet a friend in a motorhome.

Restrictions ease on March 29 

Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday set out dates for easing restrictions, which include allowing two households to mix outside and in gardens from March 29.

Chief Inspector Charlotte Bloxham, of North Yorkshire Police, said today that last week’s school half-term holidays had been one of the busiest weeks for visitors to the county during lockdown.

She told a North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum media briefing:

“It is really important that we do not get too far ahead of ourselves. Half-term was one of our busiest weeks we have had with visitors.

“Since February 15 we have issued 192 fixed penalty notices. Thirty-four of those were handed out in Harrogate.

“We do have a small minority that do not want to stick to the rules.”

‘Not the time’ to pay more for North Yorkshire policing

Now is the not the time to hand North Yorkshire’s taxpayers another significant increase in the police precept, the county’s police commissioner has said.

Julia Mulligan, North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, said the force had already had increases in the police precept in recent years and is expecting further funding for more officers.

She told a meeting of the North Yorkshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Panel that it was not the time to put a “significant tax burden” on the county during a pandemic.

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The panel agreed a 1.99% increase in the precept for 2021/22 – which will set the rate at £271.06 for a band D property.

Commissioners across the country were given flexibility to increase police precepts by a maximum of £15, which would have resulted in a 5.64% hike in North Yorkshire.

But Mrs Mulligan said the force was well funded and would have to deal with a smaller budget this year.

She said:

“I am really, really mindful at the moment that having had significant increases in the past and the service being relatively well funded that now is not the time to put a signifiant tax burden on the public of North Yorkshire and York.”

Ms Mulligan added that she recognised the proposed increase of 1.99% was “not generous”, but said the force would have to “work hard” to offer services within its budget.

Meanwhile, Michael Porter, chief finance officer for the commissioner, said the response to precept consultation showed that the public was not as supportive of an increase as in recent years.

It comes taxpayers in Harrogate could be set to pay an average of more than £2,000 on their council tax bills this year.

North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council have planned increases in their share of council tax.

Councillors on both authorities will vote on the proposed increases at budget meetings later this month.

Julia Mulligan pledges to visit Ripon to hear crime fears

North Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan has promised to visit Ripon to hear people’s concerns about escalating crime.

Ripon City Council wrote to Ms Mulligan last week asking to meet to discuss the “ongoing problem” of violence and anti-social behaviour in the city.

One councillor, Sid Hawke, said at a meeting last week the city was “sick of these yobbos”. Council leader Andrew Williams said some older people were too frightened to go onto Market Square.

In her written response, seen by the Stray Ferret, Ms Mulligan says she will meet councillors once she has been briefed by North Yorkshire Police.

She wrote:

“Once I have received this, I would be very willing to meet with you to hear your concerns first-hand.

“I will also arrange a public surgery for residents in Ripon, so that I can hear their views for myself.”

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Ms Mulligan also said she will discuss the situation with Lisa Winward, North Yorkshire’s chief constable:

“Whilst the chief constable has control over her police officers, I will certainly raise this with her, with a view to looking at the options that might be available to resolve the problems.”

Cllr Williams welcomed the response and told the Stray Ferret he hoped to meet Ms Mulligan soon.

He said:

“I am pleased our concerns are being taken seriously and I hope we can all work together on this”.

 

‘Ripon needs more police,’ says council

North Yorkshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan, is being called to act to solve chronic anti-social behaviour problems in Ripon.

Just weeks after the city council pledged to join forces with the neighbourhood policing team to tackle the on-going issue, it says the situation has worsened.

At Monday’s virtual full council meeting, elected members reported incidents of violence, nuisance and anti-social behaviour in the city centre.

Councillor Sid Hawke told the meeting:

“We are sick of these yobbos, who go around making trouble.”

Photo of Ripon Market Sqaure

Ripon Market Square – identified as a hot-spot of anti-social behaviour.

Council leader Andrew Williams said:

“I was in my car recently and a group of four thugs deliberately rode their bikes towards me on the wrong side of the road.

“Some elderly people have told me that they are frightened to go onto Market Square because they feel intimidated.

“The problem is getting worse by the week and it’s time for us to go to the top and call on Julia Mulligan to do something — she is responsible for policing in the county and the buck stops with her.”

These sentiments were echoed by many other councillors, who supported a motion to contact the commissioner, calling on her to provide more police officers for Ripon.

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Concerns were also expressed about the efficiency of CCTV cameras in the city centre and the fact that there are only a limited number in use.

Councillor Pauline McHardy said:

“If there were more cameras in use, it would deter some of the youths who are causing trouble and police could concentrate their patrols on the areas that are not covered by CCTV.”

However, councillor Stephen Craggs said:

“All that CCTV does is to push the problems elsewhere. What we need are more police to keep the city streets safe and that’s what we should be asking Julia Mulligan for.”

The Stray Ferret approached the commissioner’s office for a response and was told by a spokesperson that the she is unable to comment until she has received correspondence from Ripon City Council.

Approximately 17 percent of Harrogate district council tax is used to pay for the police and fire service.

Pateley Bridge police station to be sold

Pateley Bridge’s police station is to be sold for an estimated £142,000 to save money.

The building on King Street will be offloaded and officers relocated in an effort to save £19,000 per year.

Julia Mulligan, North Yorkshire’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, made the decision to sell the station shortly before Christmas after agreement with the force’s chief constable.

In a decision report, the commissioner said police officers will move to Harrogate Borough Council’s offices across the road.

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The report added the sale could bring in £142,000 on top of the estimated savings.

Ms Mulligan said the money could be reinvested in frontline policing and the decision was part of a strategy to relocate officers alongside other public and third sector services.

She added:

“Pateley Bridge station is a large building and is relatively expensive to run.  

“Whilst local officers and staff are based there, the building is far too large for the size of team based there.  

“New mobile working technology means officers are spending less time in the station and more time in the community, which has also affected how often the current station is occupied. This will decrease further as new applications are added to the technology.”

The commissioner said in the report that the front counter service, which is currently at Nidderdale Plus office due to coronavirus, will remain open.