Dorset residents are backing proposals to add £24 to the county's share of council tax from April – according to Police and Crime Commissioner, Martyn Underhill.

He told a county council safeguarding committee that most were prepared to pay the increase and puzzled about why the county had fewer officers than it had 20 years ago.

Mr Underhill also criticised the way policing is now funded with some areas getting more Government support than others.

He said he was also annoyed about the Government agreeing pay rises and pension changes – but then leaving local police authorities to find the money to pay for the imposed deals. The pension changes alone had resulted in him having to find an extra £3 million.

The PCC said he was now concentrating on persuading local people to support a £24 increase in the police share of council tax next from April.

“Policing is on its knees, both locally and nationally. We have had about 3,000 replies so far and around half of them have made a comment, which is unusual, almost everyone saying there isn't enough cops and PCSOs ( support officers) and why isn't the Government funding more,” he said.

“If I get the £24 increase it will lead to some more front line staff, not massive, but an improvement.”

In response to a question from Weymouth councillor, Kate Wheller, he said he was uneasy about proposals for what amounted to private response policing schemes being offered locally.

“I'm uncomfortable with it but it does lead to a bigger debate about police funding...we end up with rich areas having good policing and poor areas having poor policing,” he said.

Mr Underhill said one of the results of funding cuts was a drop in the number of arrests and court appearances: “the amount of prosecutions and arrests is declining massively,” he said, “less cops means less arrests and less prosecutions...it's just down to numbers.”

He said that despite the vagaries of funding which had a direct impact on the number of officers Dorset still remained one of the safest places in the country.

Mr Underhill said the county had 1,600 police officers at the time the Olympics came to Dorset, but only 1,200 today.