Harrogate hospitality workers are to receive training on how to make women feel safer in the town centre at night.
Zoë Metcalfe, the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, announced today her office had been awarded up to £309,911 from the Home Office’s safer streets fund to improve safety for women and girls.
It will fund various initiatives, including vulnerability and spiking awareness training for staff employed in the nighttime economy in Harrogate.
The training aims to make women feel safer at night and tackle violence against women and girls.
The funding will also provide free video doorbells for repeat victims of domestic abuse and stalking.
The commissioner’s office has also secured up to £689,607 from the Home Office to prevent neighbourhood crime, most of which will be spent on security upgrades at homes and farms in and around Scarborough and York.
Ms Metcalfe said:
“Preventing burglary, tackling rural crime and improving safety for women and girls are priority areas within my police and crime plan and violence against women and girls strategy and these initiatives will have a real, tangible impact on how safe people feel both in and outside their homes.”
Man arrested after disturbance in Ripon city centre
A man has been arrested after a disturbance in Ripon city centre this afternoon.
North Yorkshire Police officers were called to Market Square just after 1pm following reports of a man acting aggressively.
An eye witness, who did not wish to be named, told the Stray Ferret two police vans appeared quickly after an altercation.
A police statement said:
“A man in his 30s has been arrested in connection with the incident and on suspicion of assaulting an emergency services worker. Investigations are ongoing.”
Anyone with information can contact the police, quoting reference number 12220191661.
Boy, 13, arrested for affray and carrying weapon in Harrogate
North Yorkshire Police has arrested a 13-year-old boy on suspicion of carrying an offensive weapon and affray following an incident on Monday evening.
It took place at around 8.15pm in Thruscross Close, off Skipton Road.
A number of young people were involved after they were seen entering the garden of a property in the street.
As of yesterday evening, the boy was in police custody.
Officers are working to establish what took place and are appealing to anyone who witnessed the incident, saw a group of young people, or saw any suspicious activity in the area at the time, to come forward.
If you have any information call 101, press 2 and ask to speak to PS Colin Steele or PC Phil Dawes. Alternatively, you can email colin.steele@northyorkshire.police.uk or phil.dawes@northyorkshire.police.uk
The reference number is 12220159336
Ripon teenager assaulted in unprovoked attack
North Yorkshire Police is appealing for witnesses following an assault on a 17-year-old in Ripon.
It happened outside Majestic Wine on North Street between 9.45pm and 10pm on Wednesday May 4.
The victim was approached by two unknown young men who punched him several times in an unprovoked attack.
He suffered minor facial injuries but did not require medical treatment.
The suspects are described as being aged around 16 to 18 years old and were wearing dark tracksuits.
Anyone with information that could assist the investigation should contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, select option 2, and ask for Mark Nursey. You can also email mark.nursey@northyorkshire.police.uk.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can pass information to Crime stoppers on 0800 555 111.
No.9: Persistent crime in Ripon
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.