Safe Places For All Says North Yorkshire Mayor

Today, Mayor David Skaith published his first Police and Crime Plan for York and North Yorkshire.

On his election in May 2024, Mayor Skaith took on the duties of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner and therefore has set a Police and Crime Plan for North Yorkshire Police based on the public’s priorities.  

Formed in consultation with the public, the Mayor’s Police and Crime plan for 2025 – 2029 sets out the strategic direction of North Yorkshire Police, identifying four key priorities over the next four years, these are: 

•                     Focus on Prevention and Early Intervention
Tackling the root causes of crime in York and North Yorkshire through education, community programmes, and early intervention to prevent crime before it occurs and intervene early when it does.

•                     Protect the Public
Protecting the public of York and North Yorkshire and improving trust and confidence in policing by focusing on specific crime outcomes/themes that the public said were most important.

•                     Work with Partners
Working with our partners to ensure a collaborative approach to identifying and protecting the most vulnerable people in York and North Yorkshire and to ensure all victims of crime receive appropriate care and support.

•                     Build Stronger Communities
Focusing on creating safer communities throughout York and North Yorkshire through proactive policing, partnerships with local organisations, and community engagement. 

These publicly-identified priorities support Mayor Skaith’s commitment to tackling violence against women and girls, anti-social behaviour, retail crime, and rural crime.

For each of the priorities, the plans set out a range of objectives that will assess how change is being delivered.

Progress towards the delivery of the plans will be reported openly and transparently through monthly livestreamed Online Public Meetings and an Annual Report.

The Mayor and Deputy Mayor welcome investment from *Government to support their aims to bolster neighbourhood policing, create safe places for all and build stronger communities. 

David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire said:

“Ensuring York and North Yorkshire is a safe place for everyone who lives, works and visits here is my highest priority. That’s why I’m pleased to introduce my first Police and Crime Plan, setting clear expectations for North Yorkshire Police over the next four years. 

“I have already taken action to tackle the causes and impact of crime by committing to at least doubling prevention and early intervention commissioned services. This will support the long-term priority the Deputy Mayor and I share with the government, to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.

“Community relationships in York and North Yorkshire will be strengthened via Community Safety Hubs giving the public a local, accessible, and visible policing presence. This will build trust, boost public safety and reduce any community tensions and conflict early and I welcome the recent investment from the government supporting their aims to bolster neighbourhood policing.

“Everyone deserves to feel safe in our region and these plans put in place the process to ensure York and North Yorkshire is a safe place for all.”

Jo Coles, Deputy Mayor for Policing, Fire and Crime said:

“I am extremely proud to have joined David and to be part of delivering this Police and Crime Plan for York and North Yorkshire.

“More than 1,600 people, partners and businesses shared their views with the Mayor and I on what our priorities should be for policing. They included young people concerned about the lack of facilities available for them, farmers impacted by rural crime, older people scared by levels of anti-social behaviour, shopworkers and businesses exhausted by the injustice of retail crime and women and girls for whom misogyny, abuse and sexual violence have become far too commonplace. 

“The Mayor and I are determined to deliver the changes the public wants to see by harnessing the opportunities the new government is providing through devolution and by ensuring additional resources for neighbourhood policing are visible in our communities. 

“We are determined to deliver safe places for everyone in our region, reducing violence against women and girls in York and North Yorkshire and doing much more to address the causes of crime by focusing on early intervention and prevention.

“We will do this by working closely and collaboratively with all our partners in everything we do.”