Police boss who told women to be more ‘streetwise’ quits in disgrace

A POLICE commissioner quit his role yesterday following a furore over his comments about the Sarah Everard murder.

In a car crash radio interview, Philip Allott had said Miss Everard should not have ‘submitted’ to her arrest by killer Met officer Wayne Couzens – and suggested women should be more ‘streetwise’.

Mr Allott had been fighting to save his £74,400-a-year job as North Yorkshire’s police and fire boss since making the comments earlier this month.

Despite repeatedly apologising for his remarks, there was a unanimous vote of no confidence in him yesterday at a meeting of the county’s Police, Fire and Crime Panel. And within hours of the humiliating vote by local politicians and public representatives, Conservative Mr Allott announced his resignation.

In an interview with BBC Radio York on October 1, the police commissioner said: ‘Women, first of all, need to be streetwise about when they can be arrested and when they can’t be arrested. She [Miss Everard] should never have been arrested and submitted to that. Perhaps women need to consider in terms of the legal process, to just learn a bit about that legal process.’

The comments sparked fury as critics branded them ‘horrifically offensive’. Mr Allott, who is a married father of two and grandfather, told yesterday’s meeting his remarks were ‘wrong, entirely misconceived [and] grossly insensitive’.

He said he was undertaking training about violence against women but also told the meeting he had once been a victim of abuse. He said: ‘I have experienced domestic violence myself. Indeed, I classify myself as a survivor.’ But he received no sympathy from members of the panel.

The 61-year-old said he had subsequently hoped to ‘rebuild trust to restore confidence’ but following yesterday’s meeting it became clear that would be ‘exceptionally difficult, if it is possible at all’.

He added: ‘It would take a long time and a lot of resources of my office and the many groups who do excellent work supporting victims.

‘This is time victims do not have. There are women and girls in York and North Yorkshire today suffering at the hands of men. Victims and the groups who support them need to be heard. They cannot be heard if the airwaves are filled with discussion about my future.

‘That is why I am doing the honourable thing and resigning as Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner – to restore confidence in the office which I believe will be almost impossible for me to do, and to enable victims’ voices to be heard clearly without the distraction of the continued furore which surrounds me.’

An acting commissioner will now be appointed, pending a by-election. Local councillor Tim Grogan, a retired detective, said Mr Allott’s comments were ‘lamentable’ for any individual, ‘but as a commissioner, with the seriousness of that role, frankly, they were unforgivable – at best naive, crass even, at worst wrong-headed, misguided’.

He added: ‘I believe your position is unsustainable.’

Panel chairman councillor Carl Les said: ‘Only you can judge the damage done, only you can resign. We cannot make you, we can only make recommendations, and there is a frustration in that. But I think you should consider your position now.’

Mr Allott’s office received more than 800 complaints about his comments.

‘Horrifically offensive’