GLOUCESTERSHIRE Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Chris Nelson will not say sorry for breaking his manifesto promise of recruiting “300 extra bobbies” as households are forced to pay more to fund the constabulary.

The police and crime panel has today (Friday February 3) approved Mr Nelson’s proposals to set a revenue budget for 2023/24 of £145,787,817.

This will result in a council tax rise of 5.36% – this is an equivalent increase of £15 for a band D property. And it will bring the total such a household would pay towards the police to £295.05 per year.

Mr Nelson came under severe criticism during the meeting as several councillors asked him to apologise for not keeping to his manifesto pledge of recruiting 300 extra police officers.

“I can’t understand how you can adjust your manifesto position. You made a commitment when you were standing to be elected,” Cllr Ray Brassington (LD, Four Acres) said.

“That’s a promise and I just can’t see how you can go back on that. You said you would put an extra 300 police officers on Gloucestershire streets. Now you’re saying it’s going to be less than that, it’s going to be 200. Surely you’re breaking your promise to the electorate aren’t you?”

Mr Nelson said he did not think so and explained that within days of being elected he learnt the force was going to be put into special measures by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS).

He compared the scale of the challenges the constabulary faces to be akin to that of the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr Nelson said he could have gone ahead and recruited the extra 300 police officers but the seriousness of the HMICFRS report meant he needed to recruit more office staff instead.

He said: “It was a major criticism of the constabulary which I would say is due to a lack of investment in people, IT and another number of things.

“This level of seriousness demands a change of approach. When I sat down with the chief constable we spoke at great length about how we were going to do it.”

He said he should be judged on how the force is doing in combating crime and whether it gets out of special measures rather than his pledge to recruit 300 extra officers.

Councillor Joe Harris (LD, Cirencester Beeches) asked Mr Nelson twice if he would apologise for not keeping to what he promised voters.

“Many people put their trust in you because they were expecting 300 more bobbies on the beat, as you said at the time.

“The concern is you made that promise and the nature of promises is that they remain immune to changing circumstances,” he said.

“We’ve heard a lot of waffle about why we are not going to see the numbers you promised.”

Mr Nelson said he had already answered the question and would not apologise. Councillor Sajid Patel (C, Barton and Tredworth) said he was getting a sense of “predictable deja vu”. He praised the PCC for what he is delivering and explained he inherited a very challenging position.

“It’s the same as last year. Political point scoring. I assume next year Cllr Harris and Brassington will probably be asking the same question regarding the manifesto pledge.

“The constabulary is heading in the right direction. Just in under two years with the progress in expanding police numbers, police officers, PCSOs and those at the contact centre. And tackling antisocial problems, I’ve seen that first hand in my ward.”

In May 2021, Mr Nelson wanted to recruit and train 200 officers, and 100 police community support officers along with 150 special constables.

However, his current ambition is to recruit 115 police officers, four PCSOs, 178 staff, 200 special constables and 100 voluntary PCSOs.