Mayor thanks public for supporting policing in West Yorkshire

3rd February 2023

The Mayor of West Yorkshire has thanked local people for their support as the Police Budget for 2023/2024 is set.

The decision was ratified by the West Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel today (03/02) who heard details of the proposal, including the positive response to the Mayor’s police precept survey of local people.

The agreed 6.78% increase to the police element of the council tax (the police precept) means that most people will pay between 19p and 26p extra per week. Despite the increase, the cost of the police precept in West Yorkshire continues to be the fourth lowest in England and Wales.

The Government has cut the core funding provided to West Yorkshire Police by 17% since 2010. And with inflation at record highs, the decision was taken reluctantly by the Mayor who continues to lobby the Government to provide greater support for public services and to help people across the region with the cost of living.

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “Funding for policing in our region has been cut by a fifth in a decade, therefore it is fantastic to see the public agree that this needs to be more of a priority than the Government has made it.

“The funding gained through the precept will help to maintain the just, safe, and inclusive police service that the region needs.

“Without this support from the police precept, West Yorkshire Police would have faced even more severe pressures, forcing them to cut costs across its policing operations.”

The Mayor and Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, have called on the Government to fund our police service in a fair and sustainable way that doesn’t impose further that doesn’t further burden local tax payers.

The Government has not listened or provided the support that policing needs, locally, and nationally. This is further compounded by their recent announcement assuming the maximum precept rise ahead of the Police and Crime Panel meeting, and including it in their core grant figures, rather than crediting local tax payers.

Chair of the Police and Crime Panel, Cllr Al Garthwaite, said: “Having read the Mayor’s report and listened carefully to her responses to our questions, as a Panel, we unanimously support the Mayor’s proposal for increased funding for the police, through the precept element of the council tax.

"We have not taken this decision lightly. As Councillors, we are acutely aware of the increased financial pressures on residents at the moment. However, we also know that keeping our neighbourhoods safe is incredibly important to our communities, and we want West Yorkshire Police to continue to build on their work in this area. As a Panel, we commit to continuing our scrutiny of the Mayor in relation to these areas of policing, and to hold her to account for her commitments to create a safe, just and inclusive West Yorkshire."

The 6.78% increase is set out below.