Cllr Gareth Kitchen (Green, Wotton-under-Edge) has successfully secured a commitment from Gloucestershire Police to increase focus on engagement with some of the county’s most deprived communities.
The decision follows Cllr Kitchen’s request at the Police & Crime Panel budget meeting on 2 February.
Cllr Kitchen highlighted that the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner’s budget for working with communities has declined in recent years, despite the force requesting the maximum council tax precept increase for three consecutive years.
“Under-represented segments of our community have long been left behind and are disproportionately affected by policing outcomes,” said Cllr Kitchen. “Trust in policing is low in some areas, even among school children. The ongoing reductions in community engagement, combined with council tax increases, mean that residents in some of our most deprived wards are being asked to pay more while feeling over-policed.”
Cllr Kitchen also noted that statistics indicate certain communities are more likely to experience stop-and-search, arrest, or use of physical force, and that these disparities are not currently monitored for performance.
“The issue has become entrenched as part of the force’s routine operations,” he said. “While I recognise the Constabulary’s financial challenges, I felt it was important to highlight these inequities and ensure they are addressed through genuine community engagement.”
The 2026–27 budget discussed on 2 February proposed an £18.50 increase in the council tax precept for Band D residents – a 5.74% increase, above the technically allowed £15 increase without a referendum. Gloucestershire Police have stated that even with this increase, there may still be a shortfall requiring further savings.
Thanks to Cllr Kitchen’s intervention, the police have committed to giving greater attention to perceived unfairness in policing, including improved monitoring of disproportionality.
Cllr Kitchen added: “These concerns are not unique to policing. Last year, a parliamentary committee report highlighted how council tax places a greater strain on some of the most deprived residents, who often receive fewer services in return.”
