That's the question vexing local politicians as the current Chief is retiring just weeks before York and North Yorkshire get's it's first elected Mayor.
There's disagreement about when North Yorkshire's next Chief Constable should be appointed.
Lisa Winward is retiring from the role next March, just weeks before voting is expected to take place to appoint a new elected mayor for York and North Yorkshire.
A council watchdog has recommended that appointing a new chief constable should wait until the new mayor is in place, but the current police and Crime commissioner - Zoe Metcalfe - wants to press on with filling the role now.
A meeting of North Yorkshire and York’s Police, Fire and crime Panel yesterday. heard that while the commissioner had decided to launch the recruitment process, with a likely appointment date in April, if the process was launched after the expected mayoral election in May, a new chief constable may not be appointed until 2025.
The Police and Crime Commissioner is currently responsible for appointing Chief Constable's but the Commissioners role will cease to exist when an elected Mayor is appointed with the Mayor taking on the commissioners current responsibilities.
Yesterday the panel of local councillors recommended the appointment should wait until the new mayor is in place.
Among those in favour of waiting was Scarborough Councillor Rich Maw
City of York Councillor Michael Pavlovic is also in favour of waiting to make the appointment suggesting that an early appointment might be difficult for both the potential Chief Constable candidates and the new Mayor.
But not all the councillors on North Yorkshire's Police and Crime Panel were in favour of waiting, Councillor Chris Aldred feels there is too much uncertainty around the new Mayors role, he favours starting the Chief Constable recruitment process immediately.
Police and Crime Commissioner, Zoe Metcalfe, says delaying the appointment would cause staffing pressures at a senior level in North Yorkshire Police.
Commissioner Metcalfe doesn't think there would be much of a problem with the new Mayor "inheriting" a Chief Constable and says it's a situation which is not unusual.
All but four members of North Yorkshire and York’s Police, Fire and Crime panel voted to recommend to commissioner Zoe Metcalfe that she postpones finding a successor to the Chief Constable. The final decision rests with the Commissioner.
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