Councillors call on Police commissioner to take responsibility and consider her position

Following the release of a damning report into North Yorkshire Police performance, Lib Dem councillors have called on the Conservative Commissioner to accept responsibility for the failings and consider her position.

The inspectorate said North Yorkshire’s performance requires improvement in terms of responding to the public, investigating crime, protecting vulnerable people and building and developing its workforce. Worryingly, responding to the findings of the report, the Commissioner failed to take responsibility for the failings.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Darryl Smalley, Member of North Yorkshire Police, Fire & Crime Panel, commented:

“This is a worrying account of the failings of North Yorkshire’s Police force. I know very well that officers on the ground across the region work exceptionally hard to protect and serve communities, but they are let down by the lack of leadership from the Commissioner and a decade of underfunding from the Government.

“The Conservative Commissioner has overseen a significant and worrying decline in service provision during their short time in the office. Rather than take responsibility for these failings, the Commissioner is trying to distract from her lack of leadership. This is simply unacceptable. The Commissioner must take responsibility and set out clearly the urgent steps she will take to bolster leadership and management of the force.

“Given the Commissioner’s track record, laid bare in this PEEL inspection, it is really worrying to think what her mayoral leadership would mean for communities in North Yorkshire. Rather than focusing on their mayoral leadership bid and spending time canvassing Conservative members, the Commissioner must reflect on a track record of declining Police service performance. Having done this, the Commissioner might come to the same conclusion as many concerned residents have – she must consider her position.”