Mayor of West Yorkshire Responds to Provisional Police Grant

Responding to the Provisional Police Grant 2022/23, Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said:

“Whilst an increase in funding is welcome, overall, I am disappointed where this leaves us in West Yorkshire, because once we factor in inflation etc, we’re actually in a worse position than we were in 2010. In reality, an apparent £21.4m increase locally equates to £7.9m when inflation, increases in staff pay and National Insurance costs are factored in.

This money needs to pay for 341 police officers, so effectively gives West Yorkshire Police a mere £23.2k per officer, which doesn’t even cover starting salaries, let alone the cost of equipment and training. The purported 5.8% overall increase nationally can also only be achieved if all Police and Crime Commissioners apply the full council tax increase (equating to an extra £10 a year on a band D property), meaning local tax-payers again face the brunt of the cost rather than the Government centrally, even though they claim credit.

Whilst I will deliver on my pledge to recruit 750 new police officers and staff over the next 3 years, because it’s what West Yorkshire needs, it remains a challenge.”