WEST Yorkshire Police recorded 32 murders and manslaughters in the 12 months to the end of March 2017, a rise of six compared to the previous 12 months, according to Home Office figures.
In total, all the police forces in England and Wales recorded 709 homicides, which covers both murder and manslaughter.
The figure includes the 96 deaths of football fans at Hillsborough in 1989, as a result of the inquest verdicts in April 2016. The Home Office counts an offence at the time it was recorded and not when it was known to have been committed.
Excluding the Hillsborough deaths, the number of homicides in England and Wales was up by 8% on the previous 12 months.
The area covered by West Yorkshire force had a homicide rate of 13.9 per million people, which is above the average for England and Wales. The rate for South Yorkshire Police was far higher than any other area in this period due to the Hillsborough deaths.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article