Rocketing rise in violent crime as police staff levels slashed
VIOLENT CRIME in parts of West Yorkshire has increased by as much as 505 per cent since the police force has seen cuts to its workforce, research shows.
West Yorkshire Police had 505 fewer officers last year compared with 2011, although the Home Office is currently spearheading a national recruitment drive to replenish 20,000 police officers lost nationally.
Research carried out by the Labour Party, commissioned by the House of Commons Library, showed that the number of violent offences reported in West Yorkshire increased from 26,992 in 2011, to 114,362 last year – a 323 per cent rise.
A breakdown of the UKCrimeStats figures by police ward shows which areas have seen the biggest rises in violent offences reported, with Leeds Central and Bradford’s South, East and West wards experiencing the highest rise in violent offences between 2011 and 2019.
Violent crime figures rose from 4,436 to 12,859 (190 per cent) in the centre of Leeds in this period, while Bradford West and Bradford East saw increases of 435 per cent and been given to correlate against each area’s rise in crime.
Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said the rises in violence in the county, which is Yorkshire’s biggest in terms of population, exposed “huge failings” in the Government’s approach to dealing with crime.
He said: “These figures make clear the huge failings the Tories have made on crime across the country and the impact that has on local communities.
“This has been coupled with huge budget cuts to services that help prevent crime, such as mental health, youth services and probation. And we must never forget each of these figures represents a terrible incident for someone and their family.”
It was revealed last month that West Yorkshire Police is facing a £30m deficit in its budget for the 2020/21 with an internal email telling staff that cuts of up to 15 per cent across all departments were being considered. The force did not provide a comment on the statistics.
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