Revellers urged, “to stay safe and know your limits on Mad Friday”

North Yorkshire Police is releasing a “behind the scenes” video to show an officer’s view of York city centre at night.

The video has been released on on Friday 16 December 2022 to coincide with ‘Mad Friday’. It’s one of the most popular nights for Christmas celebrations, but also one of the busiest nights for calls to the emergency services as a result of alcohol-fuelled disruption.

As revellers prepare to head out for a night of festive cheer the police are preparing for a night of increased demand. To ensure that it’s prepared, the force will be deploying extra officers in towns and city centres across the county.

The Force Control Room is also expected to receive increased calls to service and additional resource has been allocated to help deal with higher call volumes.  It’s expected that our Force Control Room will receive a 30% increase in 999 and 101 calls compared with demand on an average Friday night.

The force is keen to remind people to only use 999 in an emergency. For issues that don’t require an emergency response then please use the force’s online report service at northyorkshire.police.uk or call 101.

The video was filmed last Saturday (10 December 2022) and follows PC Jess Georgiou on patrol in York city centre. It shows officers proactively looking to identify and help anyone who might be vulnerable. It also provides an insight into how the force works jointly with partners to keep people safe and prevent crime at night in towns and cities across North Yorkshire. 

Superintendent Fiona Willey is the Silver Commander for Friday’s policing operation. Fiona commented:

“We understand that people want to let their hair down and we’re not here to spoil anyone’s fun.

“However, we have a job to do and that’s to keep people safe as well as maintain law and order.

“We’re well-rehearsed at dealing with what’s known as “Mad Friday” and have additional officers and staff in place to provide resilience.

“My plea to people who are heading out on Friday is to plan your night, think about your own safety and know your limits.

“It looks like the temperature will be below sub-zero at night this weekend, so please factor this into planning your night. Please try and remain in a group of people and don’t leave friends vulnerable to find their own way home.

“The video that we’re releasing provides members of the public with an understanding of how the police and partner agencies work together to prevent harm and ensure you can enjoy your night out safely.”