Durham

Joy is in her second term as Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for County Durham and Darlington. She was first elected in May 2021 and re-elected in May 2024 with 56% of the public vote, increasing her majority by 27,643.

Joy has spent most of her career working in the public sector for Durham Constabulary, Sedgefield Borough Council, Middlesbrough Council and County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service as Head of Service and Area Manager for Community Safety.

She was elected to Durham County Council in 2013 and was appointed to the Cabinet in 2015, where she held the Safer Communities Portfolio.

In 2017 Joy was appointed to lead Durham County Council’s Transformation Programme. She was elected Mayor of Bishop Auckland in 2019 and was a cabinet member for Transformation, Culture and Tourism.

As PCC, Joy holds the role of APCC Joint Lead for Roads Policing and Transport and Alcohol and Substance Misuse, Lead for Environment and Deputy Lead for Emergency Service Collaboration. She has also recently been nominated to be the Labour's lead on the APCC Finance portfolio to inform and influence a new ' fair funding' formula and setting of police grants. Joy is a Board member on the North East Business Resilience Centre and Blue Light Commercial Board.