New Chief Constable of North Yorkshire Police must take force into new era, says Mayoral candidate

He said the force’s most senior officer must be a “leader of the highest calibre” in order to strengthen public trust following key failings identified by the police inspectorate.

The current Chief Constable, Lisa Winward, announced last week she will retire at the end of March 2024, five weeks before York & North Yorkshire elects its first-ever Mayor.

This paves the way for the Mayor, who will be the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, to use their elected mandate to appoint a new Chief Constable tasked with delivering the public’s priorities.

Keane Duncan said: “At stake in this most critical mayoral election is the future direction of North Yorkshire Police.

“I am standing to take the force back to basics, back to its fundamental mission of keeping people safe and cutting crime.

“That’s the only way to ensure public confidence and that’s what I will be expecting the newly-appointed Chief Constable to deliver.

"North Yorkshire Police requires a leader of the highest calibre to drive improvement, build trust and strengthen officer morale.

“There will rightly be significant and intense scrutiny of the recruitment process.

"It must be rigorous, transparent and seek the widest possible pool of applicants.

“The Mayor is directly accountable to the public and must have full confidence in the new Chief Constable as they work together to turnaround performance and usher in a new era for the force.”