CANDIDATES battling to land a powerful new job which will shape the future of Notts Police say they would not want to officers carrying guns.
The question was posed to the four people vying to become the first Police and Crime Commissioner for Notts at a hustings organised by the politics society at the University of Nottingham.
Last night around 150 people turned up to the event to quiz the men – one of whom will be elected to the role on November 15 and earn a salary of between £70-75,000.
Conservative Tony Roberts, Labour's Paddy Tipping, and independents Malcolm Spencer and Dr Raj Chandran, took questions from students, which covered topics from accurate recording of crime statistics to whether officers should carry guns.
In response Mr Roberts, a former school teacher, said: "I think the public would be extremely uncomfortable if the normal bobby on the beat had a gun strapped to his waist.
"And I am not convinced if the tragic events which happened in Manchester (killings of two PCs last month) would have been any different if the officers had been armed with a gun."
Mr Spencer, a retired police officer, said: "I would not have wanted to carry a gun - I think it puts up a barrier for people.
"Obviously some units within Notts Police have to be armed, but we have to be careful how we use these units.
"I would however like to see more officers carrying a taser gun – it is actually the least lethal deterrent.
Dr Chandran, a retired GP and an honorary director of DARE, the young people's anti-drugs campaign, said: "I am convinced the British police service is the best in the world, and this is because we don't carry guns. If we allow police to carry guns it could become a police state."
And Mr Tipping said: "We police by consent in this country. And that is how I would want it to remain. So I'm not in favour of it at all.
"There are armed response units in Notts and we have to monitor how we use those."
All of the candidates also said that they wanted to increase neighbourhood policing, tackle gang crime and bolster officer numbers.
Student Josh Davy said: "The hustings is the first time a lot of students got to grips with the role of the police commissioner.
"I think a lot of people will be voting in November."
