A POLICE boss from the region who said women "need to be streetwise" about powers of arrest in the wake of the Sarah Everard case has been criticised.
Murderer Wayne Couzens, a Met Police officer, had falsely arrested the 33-year-old in order to abduct her.
Speaking about the case, North Yorkshire commissioner Philip Allott said Ms Everard "never should have submitted" to the arrest.
A campaigner branded his comments "horrifically offensive".
During Couzens' sentencing at the Old Bailey, it emerged he had tricked Ms Everard, originally from York, by falsely arresting her for a breach of coronavirus guidelines.
Speaking on BBC Radio York, Conservative Mr Allott said women should be aware this was not an indictable offence - one considered serious enough to warrant a prison sentence or crown court hearing.
"So women, first of all, need to be streetwise about when they can be arrested and when they can't be arrested. She should never have been arrested and submitted to that," he said.
"Perhaps women need to consider in terms of the legal process, to just learn a bit about that legal process".
Campaigner Lucy Arnold, who organised a vigil outside York Minster following Ms Everard's death, was angered by Mr Allott's comments.
"I think frankly that was a horrifically offensive thing to say," she said.
"Does anyone really feel like they can stand up to a police officer?
"I am very confident I know my rights, I know the law, but no I wouldn't feel confident at all."
Mr Allott's comments sparked anger online, with some calling for him to resign.
The police watchdog has launched an investigation into its handling of the exposure reports, and Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick has faced calls to resign.
Scotland Yard has advised people detained by a lone plain-clothes officer to ask "searching questions" and to speak to an operator on a police radio to determine if the officer is genuine.
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