I was shocked and appalled to read in The Press that the Home Secretary has agreed to proceed with North Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan’s request to merge the administration of North Yorkshire Police with the North Yorkshire fire and rescue service (“Mulligan is given fire role”, June 14).
Under her tenure as crime commissioner the number of police officers has fallen and remaining police officers are run ragged.
In her view it is administratively cost effective to keep emergency callers to the police hanging on the phone and members of the public not seeing a police officer on the beat, but I dread to think what might be the consequences of this latest move.
Julia Mulligan says that her business plan will provide “more than £6 million of savings, and includes cuts to senior management roles, collaboration between North Yorkshire police and the fire service in back office support services and increased share of buildings”.
Does that mean that if anyone is unfortunate enough to have to call the fire brigade, the fire crew may arrive knowing whether or not the individual has a criminal record?
Does it also mean that if an individual has to call the fire brigade and the service doesn’t have enough personnel available to send a fully crewed appliance immediately, they will send one later?
How many departments does Mulligan want to control?
H F Perry,
St James Place,
Dringhouses, York
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