The rise in crime in West Yorkshire is higher than the national average, police have revealed.
And a senior officer has revealed the force will struggle in the years ahead.
Statistics revealed crime was up 17.6% in the county in the second quarter of this year, with a national average increase of 13% across England and Wales.
West Yorkshire Police say people still have a small chance of being a victim of crime in the region, with 5% of the increase accounting for actual increased risk.
The force say figures are increasing largely due to more people reporting crime.
The figures, released this morning (Thursday), are backed up by the independent Crime Survey of England and Wales, who also say West Yorkshire residents have a low chance of finding themselves being victims of crime.
The force has also been recognised by Her Majesty’s Inpector of Constabulary as ‘Good’.
West Yorkshire Police Deputy Chief Constable John Robins said: “The risk of becoming a victim of crime in our county remains low – much of the rise in recorded crime is still due to our ongoing work to improve our recording practices. However, reduced resources and increasing demand mean it is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain current performance.
“We face varied and complex demands going forward, such as increases in cyber enabled crime, more people going missing each day and night, increased investigations into child sexual exploitation and abuse, human trafficking in our communities, combatting the devastating effects of organised crime and, of course, preventing and investigation acts of terrorism.”
