North Yorkshire Police

History

The force was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, and was largely a successor to the York and North East Yorkshire Police, also taking part of the old West Riding Constabulary's area. The York and North East Yorkshire Police had covered the North Riding of Yorkshire, the East Riding of Yorkshire and the county borough of York; it was itself formed in 1968 from a merger of the two riding forces with the York City Police.

Proposals made by the Home Secretary on 21 March 2006 would have seen the force merge with West Yorkshire Police, South Yorkshire Police and Humberside Police to form a strategic police force for the entire region. However, these proposals were later dropped.

It was announced in January 2007 that the then chief constable, Della Cannings, would be retiring from the force on 16 May 2007 due to illness. Cannings made the headlines on a number of occasions. She was not allowed to purchase wine from Tesco in Northallerton in March 2004 until she had taken off her hat and epaulettes, as it was illegal to sell alcohol to on-duty police officers. In October 2006, it was revealed that more than £28,000 had been spent to refurbish a shower in her office.

On 19 April 2007, it was announced that Grahame Maxwell was to become the new chief constable. Maxwell began his career with Cleveland Police and served in all ranks up to chief superintendent when he became district commander in Middlesbrough. After completing the Strategic Command Course in 2000, he was appointed as an assistant chief constable with West Yorkshire Police and during his four years there served as the ACC Specialist Operations and ACC Territorial Operations. Maxwell was promoted to deputy chief constable with South Yorkshire Police in January 2005 and become the Chief Constable of North Yorkshire Police on 17 May 2007.

Dave Jones, was appointed as chief constable in 2013 after serving as assistant chief constable at the Police Service of Northern Ireland, where he had command of the Rural Division. He was awarded the Queen's Police Medal in the 2017 New Year Honours List, before retiring from the role in 2018.

In July 2017, the force's headquarters was moved from Newby Wiske Hall to Alverton Court in Northallerton. The new headquarters is the former offices of the Rural Payments Agency. The previous headquarters at Newby Wiske is a grade II listed building and was becoming difficult to upgrade into the 21st century. The memorial stones commemorating those who have served the police in the region have been moved to the new headquarters from Newby Wiske. These include those who have died in the First and the Second World Wars and also those who have died in the line of duty.

In August 2018, it was confirmed that Lisa Winward would become the new chief constable with immediate effect. Winward joined the police in 1993 and has been serving in the North Yorkshire police service since 2008.

Governance and oversight

Since May 2024, the force has been overseen by the elected Mayor of York and North Yorkshire. This mayoral role has also included oversight of the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Previously, until May 2024 the overseer was the North Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner, and before November 2012 the North Yorkshire Police Authority had nine councillors (drawn from both North Yorkshire County Council and City of York Council), three justices of the peace, and five independent members. The PFCC was abolished and its functions were transferred to the mayor.

Chief constables

• 1974–1977: Robert Boyes
• 1977–1979: John Woodcock
• 1979–1985: Kenneth Henshaw
• 1985–1989: Peter Nobes
• 1989–1998: David Burke
• 1998–2002: David Kenworthy
• 2002–2007: Della Cannings
• 2007–2012: Graham Maxwell
• 2012–2013: Tim Madgwick
• 2013–2018: Dave Jones
• 2018–2024: Lisa Winward
• 2024–present: Tim Forber

Officers killed in the line of duty

The Police Roll of Honour Trust and Police Memorial Trust list and commemorate all British police officers killed in the line of duty. Since its establishment in 1984, the Police Memorial Trust has erected 50 memorials nationally to some of those officers.

The following officers of North Yorkshire Police are listed by the trust as having died attempting to prevent, stop or solve a crime, since the turn of the 20th century:

• Acting DC Norman Garnham, 1977 (fatally stabbed during an arrest)
• PC David Ian Haigh, 1982 (shot dead by Barry Prudom)
• Sergeant David Thomas Winter, 1982 (shot dead by Barry Prudom)
• Special constable Glenn Thomas Goodman, 1992 (shot dead; posthumously awarded the Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct)

References

References

1. (June 2015). "Annual Police Budget".
2. "Police workforce, England and Wales: 30 September 2018".
3. (13 October 2006). "Delving into the long history of policing the rural North Riding". Darlington and Stockton Times.
4. (21 March 2006). "Police merger plan is recommended".
5. (13 July 2006). "Police welcome 'no merger' news".
6. (16 May 2007). "Last day at work for police chief".
7. (24 March 2004). "Police chief beats wine challenge".
8. (19 October 2006). "Shower revamp cost police £28,000".
9. "Chief Constable Grahame Maxwell". North Yorkshire Police.
10. "Chief Constable Dave Jones QPM". North Yorkshire Police.
11. (16 April 2018). "Chief Constable of North Yorkshire Police retires". York Press.
12. "Julia Mulligan confirms purchase of Alverton Court for new police HQ". North Yorkshire Police.
13. (28 July 2017). "County's police force moves into new headquarters". Darlington & Stockton Times.
14. (15 August 2018). "Lisa Winward confirmed as North Yorkshire Police's new Chief Constable". The Yorkshire Post.
15. "The York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority Order 2023".
16. "1974–1980". North Yorkshire Police.
17. "1981–1990". North Yorkshire Police.
18. "2001–2010". North Yorkshire Police.
19. Bean, Dan. (16 April 2018). "Chief Constable Dave Jones has retired from North Yorkshire Police". The York Press.
20. (22 September 2023). "North Yorkshire Chief Constable Lisa Winward announces retirement". BBC News.
21. (12 January 2024). "Tim Forber appointed as new North Yorkshire Chief Constable". BBC News.
22. "Police Roll of Honour Trust: North Yorkshire". Police Roll of Honour Trust.
23. (8 June 2018). "Memorial for officer murdered in 1977".
24. (14 June 2004). "Killer on run leaves trail of death". The Yorkshire Post.
25. (14 June 2012). "Service for murdered constable".