Concern over lack of custody cells in North Yorkshire forcing police officers out of action 'for up to four hours'

Members of the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel have asked commissioner Zoe Metcalfe to provide a report amid concerns over the length of time it takes officers across the north of North Yorkshire to travel with those arrested to custody suites in Harrogate and Scarborough, due to the closure of cells in Richmond and Northallerton.

The issue has been repeatedly raised as a concern by community leaders, particularly following outbreaks of anti-social behaviour as pandemic lockdown restrictions were eased.

Councillors had claimed the distances involved in arresting people is serving as a deterrent to functional policing in parts of the county.

Panel member Martin Walker, a former judge, told Mrs Metcalfe he had received various reports that police officers were “not arresting people that perhaps they should” because of the length of time it was taking to travel to custody suites.

He added: “I can’t see there’s any other reason for doing it than saving money.”

The meeting heard the Northallerton custody suite had been closed since the town’s police station moved into the police and fire service’s headquarters at the former Rural Payments Agency offices.

Cllr Peter Wilkinson said the commissioner at the time, Julia Mulligan, had promised a report into the effectiveness of the closure alongside giving reassurances that Darlington and Northallerton police stations would be used for custody when required.

He said it had since emerged that the force was using Harrogate’s custody facilities, which took up to four hours’ of officers time.

Cllr Wilkinson said: “This is having a detrimental effect on response times in Hambleton.”

In reponse, Mrs Metcalfe said when the decision to close Northallerton’s custody suite was made in 2017; the force estimated the average cost of building custody facilities was £15m.

She said she would monitor and review the situation with the chief constable, but the demand for custody facilities in the Northallerton area, similarly to Ripon, did not support a custody suite.

Mrs Metcalfe said the force had instead invested heavily in creating “voluntary interview suites” across the county.

She said a Government inspection of the force’s custody system earlier had raised no concerns about the transporting of detainees to custody suites.

Mrs Metcalfe said: “I do hope this provides members with some assurance that these arrangements have been based on extensive assessments and the recent inspection.”

She said: “The public quite rightly expect the police to maximise its assets to use public money effectively.

“Offenders are only brought into custody when it is a necessity and proportionate to do so.”