West Yorkshire Police

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Coverage
West Yorkshire Police
West Yorkshire Police area
Area	West Yorkshire
Size	2,029 km²
Population	2,108,000
Operations
Formed	1974 (merger)
HQ	Wakefield
Officers	5,671
Divisions	10
Stations	41
Chief Constable	Sir Norman Bettison

Website	West Yorkshire Police

West Yorkshire Police is the Home Office police force responsible for policing West Yorkshire in England. It is the fourth largest force in England and Wales by number of officers, with 5671 officers. The force is curently searching for a new Chief Constable as the former postholder of four years, Colin Cramphorn, sadly died of cancer in November 2006 just weeks after his retirement.

West Yorkshire Police Authority contains 9 councillors, 3 magistrates and 5 independent members. The councillors are appointed by the five borough councils in the area - Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield.

West Yorkshire Police was formed in 1974, when part of the West Yorkshire Constabulary (itself created in 1968, and covering a much larger area) was amalgamated with the Leeds City Police and Bradford City Police, under the Local Government Act 1972. The force was originally known as the West Yorkshire Metropolitan Police. [1] [2]

Proposals made by the Home Secretary on March 21, 2006 would see the force merge with North Yorkshire Police, South Yorkshire Police and Humberside Police to form a strategic police force for the entire region. [3]

On 12th December 2006, Norman Bettison was announced as the new Chief Constable, replacing Colin Cramphorn

[edit] Divisional structure

For operational purposes, West Yorkshire Police is divided into nine divisions. The force headquarters is in the city of Wakefield. The divisions (with their associated stations and divisional identifiers) are:

AA - Pudsey/Weetwood Division (Pudsey, Weetwood & Otley) - covering north and west Leeds
BA - North East Leeds Division (Stainbeck, Killingbeck, Wetherby & Garforth} - covering north east Leeds
CA - City & Holbeck Division (Millgarth, Holbeck, Morley & Rothwell) - covering central and south Leeds
DA - Wakefield District Division (Wakefield, Normanton, Ossett, Pontefract, Castleford & South Kirkby)
EA - Kirklees Division (Batley, Cleckheaton, Dewsbury, Heckmondwike, Holmfirth, Huddersfield, Kirkburton & Slaithwaite)
FA - Calderdale Division (Halifax, Brighouse, Sowerby Bridge, Ovenden, Todmorden & Hebden Bridge)
GA - Bradford South Division (Bradford Central & Odsal)
HA - Bradford North Division (Eccleshill & Toller Lane)
HD - Keighley Division (Keighley, Bingley, Shipley & Ilkley)