Police horses have returned to the West Midlands after a 26-year break, in a move aimed at creating jobs and contributing to public trust and confidence.
This month West Midlands Police launched its new mounted section as the first five horses began patrols. The unit will comprise two sergeants and 12 constables; seven other fully trained police horses have been identified and are “undergoing extensive health checks” before moving to the region.
The news follows the announcement in March that Gloucestershire Constabulary’s mounted section would close, as part of plans to save £12.3m over 12 months. One of Gloucestershire’s horses, Bruce, has transferred to West Midlands Police. H&H has asked Gloucestershire Constabulary where the remaining five horses have moved to.
West Midlands Police assistant chief constable Mike O’Hara said it is a “moment in history for West Midlands” as horses are welcomed back to the region. The unit was disbanded in 1999.
“We have been working on this project for over a year and the plans have been carefully considered. We are confident that our mounted unit will generate income from loaning the horses to other forces and in support of this work, we’re also exploring sponsorship options that could help cover food and other expenses,” he said.
Mr O’Hara added that jobs for both police officers and staff have been created as part of the plans. The horses are staying in temporary homes around the region until the unit’s new stable Tally Ho!, in Edgbaston, Birmingham, opens in spring, which will be run by an equine stable manager, police staff grooms and an apprentice groom.
The horses will be involved in routine local policing and “ultra-high visibility patrols” at major events and weekends in town centres.
“Our recent experience at football matches has shown that just six police horses can manage crowds that usually take one police support unit equalling over 20 police officers. This means those highly skilled officers can be assigned to other roles, actively preventing and investigating crime or supporting victims,” said a West Midlands Police spokesperson.
“More importantly, we have taken learning from other forces, and this has helped us to understand that horses are an excellent tool in increasing trust and confidence. They have been used to great effect when supporting victims and witnesses and for getting people to engage and talk to us.”
Mr O’Hara said West Midlands Police is “really grateful for the help and advice” from World Horse Welfare, which has helped “ensure that our working animals will be well cared for, right from the start”.
A World Horse Welfare spokesperson told H&H police horses are “one of many examples of the horse-human relationship in action”.
“We believe that their safety and wellbeing should be a top priority, so we welcomed West Midlands Police approaching us for advice when they were first looking to bring horses back into their force,” he said.
“We look forward to engaging with them further to help them ensure that their newest recruits will thrive in their new home.”
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