More about this area

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The force says...

North Yorkshire is England’s largest policing county, covering 8,320km2.  Demographically it is predominantly White British (93 percent), with a population of approximately 809,000 people.

Whilst much of the area is rural, there are urban concentrations in York, Harrogate and Scarborough. These have a vibrant night-time economy and present urban challenges.

Most of the North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales National Parks come within the area. These attract 16.5m tourism visitors a year, significantly swelling resident populations, and increasing policing demand. North Yorkshire also includes the British Army’s largest training establishment.

Protecting the vulnerable is a priority, and the force has award-winning partnerships in place to ensure there is a joined-up approach to identifying those at risk and taking prompt action.

Neighbourhood policing remains a core focus. The force has a rural task force – the largest in the country – to address issues faced by rural communities and has introduced a proactive policing team.

With a road network of more than 6,000 miles (one of the country’s largest) and arterial routes traversing the region, cross-border crime is a significant factor. The force has invested heavily in automatic number plate recognition technology to disrupt this activity.

North Yorkshire Police has also built specialist unit resilience (dog section, major investigations) through Evolve, a collaboration programme with Durham Constabulary and Cleveland Police.

Disclaimer: the above statement has been prepared by North Yorkshire Police. The views and information in it are not necessarily those of HMICFRS.