City of York Labour Councillor Jo Coles has been selected by Mayor David Skaith as his preferred appointee for Deputy Mayor for Police, Fire and Crime.
Jo Coles has spent nearly 5-years as chief of staff to Yvette Cooper, but has no previous experience of policing or the fire service.
David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said:
The role of Deputy Mayor for Police, Fire and Crime is crucial, and I have therefore carefully considered who should be appointed to this role.
In my plan for York and North Yorkshire I promised to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour, in particular focussing on the root causes.
In a few days I will officially propose Jo Coles to the Police, Fire and Crime Panel as my preferred appointee to the role of Deputy Mayor for Policing, Fire and Crime.
I want to invest in our services, to keep people being safe and feeling safe in our urban, rural and coastal areas alike. I believe Jo would be a brilliant member of our team in helping us to achieve this.
Jo’s experience at City of York Council shows her to be a dedicated public servant committed to helping people across all communities.
David Skaith was elected Mayor for York and North Yorkshire on Friday 3 May 2024 and on Tuesday 7 May took legal responsibility for the policing, fire and crime responsibilities previously held by the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire.
As Mayor, these responsibilities can be delegated to a Deputy Mayor for Police, Fire and Crime.
The role of the Police, Fire and Crime panel is to maintain regular checks and balances on the performance of the Mayor. The North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel covers York and North Yorkshire and is a joint committee of the two local authorities.
