00:00How would you like to see the police funded in the coming year?
00:03And what would you say are your police priorities?
00:06Residents across Leeds and West Yorkshire are being urged to have a say
00:09on how policing is funded in the year ahead.
00:13A public consultation has now launched,
00:15asking people for their views on the local police precept for the 2026-27 financial year.
00:22The precept is the portion of council tax paid by households across the region's five local authorities
00:27that helps fund West Yorkshire Police.
00:30West Yorkshire's Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Alison Lowe OBE,
00:34says public input is crucial.
00:36She says neighbourhood policing and visible officers remain a top priority for residents
00:41and building trust and confidence in policing continues to be a key focus.
00:45However, despite cost-saving measures already in place,
00:48West Yorkshire Police is facing a funding gap of almost ÂŁ10 million next year.
00:53The proposed rise would mean an additional ÂŁ0.19 to ÂŁ0.26 per week
00:58for most households in council tax bands A to C.
01:01The consultation comes as crime levels show improvements.
01:04Over the past year, there were more than 5,000 fewer victims of crime,
01:08while victim satisfaction rose by over three percentage points to nearly 74 percent.
01:15Neighbourhood crime has also fallen by 33 percent compared to national baseline figures.
01:20The consultation runs until midnight on the 20th of January, 2026.
01:25Residents can take part by searching for Your Voice West Yorks online.
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