2021 local elections: Women's safety in West Yorkshire

On 6 May voters in West Yorkshire will elect their first mayor. As well as having powers over transport, adult education and housing, the successful candidate will also take control of policing. The BBC asked voters about their experiences, and put their concerns to the candidates.

April-Joy Serrant, from Bradford, was running along the Leeds-Liverpool Canal in March when what she described as "a horrible experience" happened.

The 36-year-old called police when she saw a man performing a sex act in public, but was told to wait two days as no officers were available.

After Ms Serrant posted a video about her experience which went viral, West Yorkshire Police apologised. A suspect has since been arrested and charged.

Ms Serrant believes sending officers straight away would "not only send a message to me, but it would also send a message to the perpetrator that we take things like this very seriously and women's safety is serious".

She wants to know the winning candidate will ensure the force is properly resourced to respond to similar situations.

"I also think that there needs to be more education within our police force and a better understanding around these crimes and the response that should follow a report like that," she added.

Ms Serrant's concerns were put to all seven candidates during a debate due to be broadcast on Sunday.

Here is how they responded:

Waj Ali, Reform UK

"It is interesting she reported it and then put it online and it was only then the police took action.

"Is that to say the police are spending more time looking at crime on Twitter or Facebook and if that is the case then who is patrolling our streets?"

Mr Ali noted Labour candidate Tracy Brabin's campaign pledge to employ an extra 750 police officers but asked what Labour police and crime commissioner Police Mark Burns-Williamson, who was elected in 2012, had done to implement safety measures.

"Can you actually trust Labour to carry on policing our streets when they have been in charge since 2012? The budgets are there," he said.

"We need to do a lot more work within the local PCSO [Police and Community Support Officers] communities, where the PCSO, who is community-led, ensures that anything he or she sees or hears or reports is automatically passed onto the central server.

"I would organise an app, this app would show the dangers, a 24-hour reporting app. We need to ensure that reporting a crime is not seen as a feeble excuse for the police to ignore it."

Tracy Brabin, Labour

"When I was at university I was attacked in the street by a stranger, he was caught, he went to prison, I got justice.

"My issue at the moment is that so many people who potentially have reported don't get justice.

"I am really focused on the safety of women and girls and that is about supporting refuges, we know that two women a week are killed by their partner or ex, during lockdown that has doubled.

"We can't just stand by and allow that to continue. It is funding refuges to support women to leave violent situations.

"As part of my manifesto I am committing to 750 more officers and staff at the end of my mayoralty.

"It's also about having a police force that listens and that women will know that they will be heard.

"I will also say frankly this isn't just about women this is about the men too.

"Violence against men and women is perpetrated mainly by men and we have to have the conversation: 'Why is that?'

"Working with men around education, mentoring, intervention, so that we can lower the rate of violent crime."

Bob Buxton, Yorkshire Party

"I cannot believe none of the other six have mentioned that thing which causes abuse of women and girls, and that is the Holbeck Red Light Zone [a legal red light district in Leeds].

"Kids propositioned on their way to school, women propositioned on the street, verbally abused or worse if they explain they are not a prostitute. How is that acceptable in a modern country?

"This has to end, there was a lot of talk last year about Britain's historic role in slavery, what about the slavery that's happening in Holbeck? Why don't their lives matter?

"If anyone thinks 'well Holbeck is not where I live' this is a pilot project. Where's the next scheme going to be?

"It has failed, it has to end for the good of women's safety and the safety of kids on their way to school."

Andrew Cooper, Green Party

"It is important that we are listening to women, that we are making sure the work the police are doing is having an effect.

"But we have got to see if there is improvement year-on-year, the job is to actually see if people are feeling safer, if women are feeling safer.

"I think if anything is going to happen that's going to have a big cultural change it has got to happen at the educational level.

"I think the police and the West Yorkshire mayor have got to have a role in that, working with educational institutions.

"The role of looking after crime and policing is going to be that of the deputy mayor.

"Our deputy mayor nominee is Hawarun Hussain. She is a former councillor and her lived experience as a woman would be invaluable in working with the police on crimes against women."

Stewart Golton, Liberal Democrat

"One person isn't going to make a culture change which is needed to ensure women are safe in society.

"Domestic violence not so many years ago was something which was hush hush and brushed under the carpet and officially wasn't really recognised.

"The police have come a long way in recognising domestic violence and now I think the safety on the street is one which needs to be looked at with a similar focus from our forces.

"Our local authorities need to think about our physical environment, which they are responsible for maintaining and for funding.

"We need to make sure for instance that street lights aren't switched off to save money because that's a very short term measure which could have a huge impact on people's lives, not just women, but other people who feel vulnerable.

"Education is key too, one person can't solve it, we need to do this in partnership."

Thérèse Hirst, English Democrats

"This is a growing societal problem and its not particularly a problem that is going to be solved overnight.

"Educational attitudes need to change so that needs to start at junior school all the way up through our educational system, but that's going to take some time.

"What young women need to feel is that they are safe now when they go out.

"The most rapid response would be to have a special rapid response team that can answer these calls, a special hotline for young woman who have serious problems or are scared that they are walking down a quiet avenue.

"So a special hotline where you are going to get rapid access and a special rapid access unit.

"But in the longer term it has to be about education. Women aren't objects, they have human rights and they deserve respect.

"It is a creeping thing in our society. The harassment of women and domestic violence has to stop."

Matt Robinson, Conservative

"We need to do far more, we need to make sure that actually as a society we are dealing with this issue, this is not just a women's issue this is a society issue.

"We need to get far, far better, starting in schools, starting with education.

"The government has given £5.4m in funding supporting domestic violence victims here in West Yorkshire and that's a great first step.

"We need to make sure we are looking at CCTV and street lighting and where we need to take action and taking action quickly where the public are feeding back to us.

"One thing I have suggested is having justice reports.

"We have crime reports at the moment where you know where crime have taken place actually what the public need to see is what justice is happening too.

"Just what's happened to people who have been abusing women, to people who have attacked women.

"I think that will increase confidence in our police and in our communities too."

A special programme with all the candidates- A Mayor for West Yorkshire - will be broadcast at 14:20 BST on Sunday on BBC One in Yorkshire, and will be available to view again on iPlayer.