Julia Mulligan reveals why she won't be standing for re-election for North Yorkshire police commissioner

Julia Mulligan has revealed that she won't be standing for re-election for the role of Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire.
Julia MulliganJulia Mulligan
Julia Mulligan

She said at the time: "I've spent years pretending my assault didn’t happen, boxing it off in my brain. Locking it up, full on blaming myself. No longer. I want to help those who have experienced what I went through. I want to help stop more girls and women, boys and men, ever experiencing it in the first place. It’s why I chose public service. It’s why I wanted to become the Police and Crime Commissioner. It’s why I am determined to make a difference"Julia Mulligan said in a statement today“This has been a very difficult time for me. I am passionate about public service, and in recent months have explained some of my reasons why. But, in seven years of being the elected Commissioner, I have taken tough decisions which I firmly believe are the right ones, but which others clearly disagree with and we have seen the results of that in recent weeks.

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“I am proud to have been the first Police and Crime Commissioner, and now the first Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, for North Yorkshire. I know the role has been controversial, but we have moved to decisions being made in full view by someone who has been elected democratically to do just that. This opportunity is one I have embraced, and I have used every mechanism available to me to make a difference.

“I have been a relentless supporter of rural communities and rural policing. Our Rural Task Force are second to none. We have invested in modernising the force and have one of the best digital forensics units in the country. Our response to protecting vulnerable people has improved dramatically. These things may not be the most visible, but they really matter.

“I have also transformed services for victims. When I came into office in November 2012, we had one person, one day a week in Wakefield, attempting to deliver services to over 40,000 victims of crime a year. We now have one of the most comprehensive services in the country, particularly for vulnerable people, women and children. In the past, only certain victims’ types were eligible for a service, but now anyone can be supported, even if they haven’t reported a crime to the police.

“In seven years, over £1.25 million has been granted to local community groups supporting a diverse range projects and schemes; we have two specialist centres to support victims of sexual assault, one for adults, one for children; we have also made massive strides in ensuring people detained under the Mental Health Act are cared for by doctors and nurses, rather than being treated like criminals in police custody.

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“None of this would have been possible without the support of the public, and I want to thank those who have expressed their backing of me and my work.

“I also want to take this opportunity to thank my team who have done, and continue to do, amazing work. I could not have made any of the improvements without them. They work tirelessly behind the scenes, day-in, day-out to support me and support everyone in North Yorkshire. Whoever takes over this role will inherit that team and they could not have better support.

“Next May, North Yorkshire Police will have more police officers and PCSOs than when I came into office, despite the national cuts to police funding. My collaboration plans will also make a tremendous difference to North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, saving money and ensuring we focus on the front line. I regularly say thank you to those who serve in both services, but I say it again - you are truly inspirational, and it is a true privilege to work with you.

“A lot has been achieved, there is a lot more to do, I look forward to achieving as much of that as is possible before May 2020.”