Policing and Crime

Responsibility for exercising the functions of the Police and Crime Commissioner in West Yorkshire transferred to the West Yorkshire Mayor on 10th May 2021. Find out more about the role and responsibilities below.

Role and Responsibilities

With regards to policing and crime, the Mayor of West Yorkshire is responsible for:

  • Securing the maintenance of an efficient and effective police force and holding the Chief Constable to account.
  • Issuing a Police and Crime Plan, determining police and crime objectives.
  • Attendance at the Police and Crime Panel.
  • Preparing an annual report.
  • Calculating a council tax or budget requirement (precept).
  • Maintaining the Police Fund.
  • Appointing, and where necessary, suspending or calling on a Chief Constable to retire or resign.
  • Delegating some of these functions to a Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime where appointed.
  • Consulting the public to ensure that their views and priorities on community safety issues inform the police and crime plan.
  • Commissioning of services which include supporting victims and tackling reoffending.
  • Strengthening links such as inclusive growth and community safety and cohesion.

To provide stronger and more transparent accountability of the police, the Mayor of West Yorkshire holds the Chief Constable to account, helping to make the police answerable to the communities they serve.

The Mayor will ensure community needs are met as effectively as possible and foster local relationships through building confidence. They will work in partnership across a range of agencies at local and national level to ensure there is a unified approach to preventing and reducing crime.

The Mayor does not run the police. The role is to be the voice of the people and hold the police to account.

Alison Lowe

About the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime

Alison Lowe OBE is the West Yorkshire Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime (DMPC).

The DMPC works with the Mayor to oversee policing in the county, on behalf of the public.

Other key functions include commissioning services to support those harmed by crime and reduce reoffending, consulting the public to ensure that their views and priorities are taken into account, strengthening links such as inclusive growth and community safety and cohesion.

Find out more

Key Information

  1. The Police and Crime Plan

    The Police and Crime Plan sets the strategic direction for the Mayor's Policing and Crime function, West Yorkshire Police, and our wider partners.

  2. Support for Victims

    The Supporting Victims pages are designed to show you what services are available across West Yorkshire and in your area.

  3. West Yorkshire Violence Reduction Unit

    The West Yorkshire Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) brings together specialists from health, police, local government, education, youth justice, prisons, probation and community organisations to tackle violent crime and the underlying causes of violent crime.

Latest Policing and Crime News

  3. Smartwater Van Launch

    Wakefield PCSOs in UK first for forensic tagging

    • 16 August 2022

    The spray which was initially used to mark people’s property, is now being used to deter and detect incidents involving off-road bikes, street drinking, shoplifting and domestic abuse across the Wakefield District.

All policing and crime news

Contact

The Mayor's team covering policing and crime can be contacted via email, phone or post.

Contact Us

Who We Are and What We Do

  1. Who We Are

    Find out more about the staff supporting the Mayor's policing and crime function.

  2. Complaints and Conduct

    Find out more about the complaints process and how to make a complaint.

  3. Transparency and Specified Information

    The Mayor has responsibilities to publish certain information with regards policing and crime as set out in The Elected Local Policing Bodies Specified Information Order.

  4. Mayor’s Safer Communities Fund

    The fund will look to provide support to innovative projects which address at least one of the cross cutting themes within the draft Police and Crime Plan 2021-24.

  5. Holding the Chief Constable to Account

    The Mayor is responsible for securing the maintenance of an efficient and effective police force and holding the Chief Constable to account.

  6. Finance

    The Mayor will publish various financial information, including the police budget, precept, grants and contracts.

  7. Commissioning

    The Mayor commissions a number of different providers to help with the delivery of services, which will benefit the communities of West Yorkshire, reduce crime and help victims to cope and recover from the harm they have suffered.

  8. Custody Visiting

    Custody Visitors have an independent role, checking that people held in police custody (not yet convicted of any offence) are being properly treated.

  9. Domestic Servitude Animation

    The real-life story of a survivor of domestic servitude has become the inspiration behind a new online animation aimed at the communities of West Yorkshire.

How We Work

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