THE number of harassment cases reported to West Yorkshire Police hit a 10-year high last year, latest figures show.
Home Office statistics reveal West Yorkshire Police dealt with 24,582 harassment cases in the year to September 2023 - up from 22,957 the year before and the highest number recorded in the past 10 years.
Of the harassment cases recorded in West Yorkshire in the year to last September, only 495 resulted in a charge or summons, the data shows.
West Yorkshire Police insisted it takes tackling harassment "very seriously" and said the rise comes after "improvements in our crime recording practices".
The total figure in England and Wales was the highest since comparable records began in 2002-2003, with 271,000 cases of harassment reported by all police forces.
Katie Kempen, chief executive at the charity Victim Support, said: "This stark rise in reported harassment could be down to a number of factors.
"Perpetrators can now harass people online, something we know is becoming ever more common - meanwhile, better public awareness could be leading to more people coming forward.
"Sadly, the true number of offences will be much higher, given that most victims do not feel able, or want to report to the police.
"Those who do report are being failed by a system that doesn't deliver."
A West Yorkshire Police spokesperson told the Telegraph & Argus: "West Yorkshire Police takes very seriously its responsibility to safeguard its communities and ensure members of the public can live in an environment free of harassment.
"Over the last five years there has been an increase in recorded stalking and harassment offences.
"Much of the increases relate to improvements in our crime recording practices, which has seen the force rated as outstanding by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services for its crime and data integrity, and changes in the National Crime Recording Standards, as well as increased confidence by victims to come forward and report.
"However, the force also acknowledges that these offences are likely to be under reported.
"West Yorkshire Police works with local authorities and the wider partnership to tackle priorities associated with harassment."
The spokesperson added that stalking is a "form of harassing behaviour" and the force had invested in a dedicated unit in the last 12 months which is responsible for improving the early identification of stalking.
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