Jo Coles took up office on 8 July, as the first person to hold her role in York and North Yorkshire, taking over the role and responsibilities of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, following her appointment by the first Mayor of York and North Yorkshire David Skaith, who was elected on 3 May 2024.
Jo Coles said:
When I was appointed in July I said my priorities as David’s Deputy Mayor would be to keep our area safe, to be a voice for the public and to ensure our police and fire services are the very best they can be. Over the last 100 days I’ve endeavoured to put victims at the heart of my work to make all of our communities safer.
On my first day I met with victims of crime from across North Yorkshire, I’ve also held online public meetings and surgeries discussing issues ranging from hate crime and anti-social behaviour to road safety. Our region is really diverse so I’ve also ensured I’ve met the rural task force, been on patrol with the neighbourhood policing team in our coastal communities as well as overseeing the dissemination of video doorbells to communities most at risk from burglary via the Safer Streets Fund.
During the summer when tensions were high I met with one of our local Mosques to ensure the police were doing all they could to ensure our Muslim community was kept safe and I’ve met with the North Yorkshire Youth Commission to discuss how we ensure young people’s voices are heard as David and I develop our long term plans for policing fire and crime prevention.
Tackling our region’s high levels of violence against women and girls is a top priority for me and I will be holding a York and North Yorkshire Violence Against Women and Girls summit in November, bringing together professionals and subject experts to discuss how North Yorkshire can build upon the best support being delivered across the country to support women and girls and to tackle domestic abuse and serious sexual offences.
The Mayor and I have also launched our public consultation for our plans for the next four years for North Yorkshire Police, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and victims’ services across York and North Yorkshire. This is an important opportunity for businesses, community groups, stakeholders and the public to have their say on how services are working for them and their priorities for the future.
The consultation is open until Monday 18 November and I encourage everyone to share their views at www.YourPoliceAndFire.com
The Deputy Mayor marked her 100 days in office visiting a Police Treatment Centre in Harrogate. The centre is a registered charity supports the health and wellbeing of the police profession The Centre’s services support physical and psychological wellbeing both in-person and remotely, and are available to current and retired officers as well as police staff, with almost 4,000 members of the police family attend one of the charity’s two treatment centres every year.
David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said:
This is a vital role which supports the safety of communities in York and North Yorkshire. Shortly after I was elected, I put Jo forward as my preferred appointee as she had a wealth of experience, and I knew she would work tirelessly for our region. I’m impressed by the engagement work so far with police and fire colleagues, our partners, and with residents and businesses.
This, and the work that lies ahead, is ensuring our police and fire services are the best they can be, and that impactful, commissioned services are in place to support victims of crime and tackle the root causes.
Mayor David Skaith and Jo Coles, Deputy Mayor for Policing, Fire and Crime are setting the priorities for North Yorkshire Police and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and are asking for your views.
Visit www.yourpoliceandfire.com to fill out our survey
