West Yorkshire Police spent more than £1.4 million on diversity and inclusion initiatives in the past year, funding a team of 19 uniformed and civilian personnel dedicated to such efforts. The expenditure, which covered salaries and training sessions, was reportedly equivalent to the funding required for 46 constables. Additionally, the force paid approximately £361,000 to an external provider for training programs, despite employing an in-house equality and diversity trainer with an annual salary of £45,924.

The spending comes amid controversy over the force's approach to managing extremism and hate crimes. In a recent development, West Yorkshire Police dismissed a volunteer who had questioned the organization’s handling of Islamic extremism. Furthermore, the head of a hate-crime scrutiny panel in Bradford was removed last month after raising concerns that police officers were overly focused on Muslim sensitivities and insufficiently addressing antisemitism.

William Yarwood of the TaxPayers’ Alliance criticized the allocation of resources, stating, “Taxpayers expect police forces to prioritise catching criminals and keeping streets safe, not building sprawling DEI departments.”

Responding to the reported figures, West Yorkshire Police confirmed that it had reduced the number of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) roles by seven since the data was made public, indicating an ongoing adjustment in the force’s approach to these matters.