Following the devastating events in York over recent weeks, as well as incidents more historically, Julia Mulligan – Police and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire – has called an urgent River Safety Summit.
The event will bring together organisations with an active interest in this aspect of community safety, with the aim of fully exploiting opportunities for working together, that will help reduce risk and prevent future incidents.
A Cabinet member and Officer from the City of York Council, representatives from the city’s universities and students unions, police, voluntary groups and many others will be at the meeting, being held on Tuesday 25thMarch.
The Summit has been called not only to maximise collaboration, but also to reassure the public that work is very much underway to improve safety and prevent future incidents.
The meeting will stay private and be conducted under ‘Chatham House’ rules. This will allow reporting of the meeting generally, but will also facilitate an open discussion with no stone left unturned.
In announcing the River Safety Summit, Julia Mulligan, York’s Police and Crime Commissioner, said: The desperately sad events of recent weeks have again highlighted the need to do everything possible to keep people safe.
A great deal of excellent work is ongoing, from the City Council to voluntary groups, but there are always opportunities to achieve more by working together.
Alcohol has tended to be a common theme in contributing to risk and this will no doubt be part of our discussions. Not only that, but we need to reassure residents, students and visitors that York – including its fantastic rivers – are as safe as can be.
