Police horses were back in Birmingham city centre for the first time in 26 years on Monday(December 1) in a new move to improve engagement and help with crowd control.
Central BID Business Support Officers, who work closely with West Midlands Police on safety projects, were delighted to meet the new horses as they started patrolling the city centre.
Two police horses attracted plenty of attention while trotting from New Street to Temple Street as part of the new Mounted Unit. It follows an operational decision made by Chief Constable Craig Guildford.
The animals’ height gives police riders the ability to see over crowds, while their size, speed and agility means they can easily move between obstacles and disperse large groups of people quickly.
The horses will be used regularly as part of routine local policing along with during major events and over some busy weekends in the city centre for ultra-high visibility patrols.
It came after months of careful planning, specialist advice and trials using other force horses at local football matches over the past two years.
Horses Belgravia, Bruce, Yonkers, Yve, and Yvonne will be under the supervision of riders, Sgt Hadley and PCs Dixey, Masterson, Preece, Pritchard and Smith. They will be stabled at the force’s Tally Ho! site in Edgbaston with access to grazing, specialist vets and everything else they need for a happy, healthy working life.
Assistant Chief Constable Mike O’Hara, from West Midlands Police’s executive team, who is leading on the project to return horses to the force, said: “This is a moment in history for West Midlands Police as we once again welcome horses back into force.
“The return of horses is great news for the communities we serve as the Mounted Unit will be a massive boost for neighbourhood policing and public engagement.”
The force’s recent experience of using horses 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.
They also found 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 the police.
Police horses are bred for their size, intelligence and gentleness, and trained to remain calm in challenging situations. The force obtained advice from the World Horse Welfare charity to ensure its working animals will be well cared for, right from the start.
So look out for more sightings of police horses in the city centre.