It’s a sad fact that the world is very uncertain with wars and climate change. Security is an issue on many levels.

National Security – Ensuring Appropriate Resourcing for our armed forces

With growing instability on the world stage, we need to ensure the nation has adequate provision for defence and career opportunities for our young who wish to enter our armed forces.

Police

To boost economic growth in the region, it is crucial to ensure everyone feels secure in both the physical environment and online cyberspace, thereby attracting and retaining individuals and new businesses. To that end, I will work with the Mayor for the delivery of our services for both the rural and urban areas of Harrogate and Knaresborough. Key initiatives include:

Combating Violence Against Women and Girls:

Increase investment in services and preventive measures.

Public Safety Officers in Rural Communities:

Advocate for the rollout of Public Safety Officers to integrate Police, Fire, and Health services, thereby enhancing community resilience, preventing crime, and reducing harm.

Addressing Cybercrime and Fraud:

Focus on tackling the growth areas of cybercrime, fraud, and online grooming across all age groups and vulnerabilities.

Protection from Drugs and Serious Crime:

Ensure our community is safeguarded against drugs, serious crime, and organised criminal activities.

Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour:

Implement strategies to reduce and manage anti-social behaviour effectively.

Vision Zero Initiative:

Use the methodology outlined in Vision Zero with the goal of eliminating deaths and serious injuries on North Yorkshire’s roads by 2030.

Retail Crime Prevention:

Invest in a specialist business crime team dedicated to preventing retail crime and supporting businesses and their employees.

Victims’ Services:

Increase investment in services focused on domestic and sexual violence, as well as crime prevention.

Protection for Emergency Workers:

Enhance protection measures for our front-line emergency workers.

More Police Presence:

Increase the number of officers on the beat, acknowledging that they require three years of training.

Fire & Rescue

Funding our fire service to ensure it has the resources to deal with flooding as well as fire.

Food Security

(Refer to the Economy section for detailed information.)

Energy Security

Investment in Renewables:

Increase investment in renewable energy sources to ensure sustainable and reliable energy whilst reducing the cost per kWh.

Infrastructure Development:

Invest in the necessary infrastructure to support energy security initiatives.

Development of Green Hydrogen:

Promote and invest in the development of green hydrogen as a clean energy alternative.

Advancement in Battery Technology:

Invest in the development and improvement of battery technology to support renewable energy storage and utilisation.