Police fear 'gap in frontline' after mounted unit cut
POLICE officers have said they fear the loss of the force's mounted section will leave a "gap in the frontline".
Chief Constable Tim Hollis has decided to axe the unit, comprising six horses and police officers, to save £500,000 a year.
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COST-SAVING MEASURE: Humberside Police's mounted section is being scrapped to save money. Picture: Jack Harland
The decision was made as the force battles to cut £11m from its budget over the next five years.
But the move has been criticised by the Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers.
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Humberside chairman, John Blanchard, said: "The fact is, despite assurances these cuts won't affect frontline policing, this is evidence of them hitting the frontline.
"They are a very high- profile resource and this shows that hard times make for hard choices."
The six police officers based at the unit in Walkington are likely to be redeployed in other areas of the force, while the three staff members who run the stables face redundancy.
After the section is scrapped, the stables are likely to be sold.
When the unit is disbanded in March next year, the force will have to hire horses from other police forces for high- profile football matches and events such as Hull Fair.
Mr Blanchard said: "We have to rely on other forces keeping their mounted sections and them being prepared to rent them out to us.
"If they close their mounted sections, or won't hire the horses out because their force takes priority, then we won't have that capacity anymore.
"The horses are very good at what they do and, if we don't have them, it will potentially mean having extra numbers of police officers at things such as football matches or to carry out large searches for missing people.
"It does create a gap in the frontline."
Mr Blanchard said members of the public also value seeing the horses.
"They are a great attraction for the public. People love seeing the horses, stroking them and feeding them, and it gets people to approach police.
"It is sad it has come to this. You have to ask, 'what's next?'
"The horses are one of the key resources we have that the public like to see and they are quite versatile.
"Clearly, though, this will save a lot of money and the chief and commissioner believe that could be better spent elsewhere."
Mr Hollis said he decided to disband the unit after a review lasting months.
"This was not an easy decision to make," he said.
"Humberside Police has always had a mounted branch, and I have a high regard for the work they do, but this is back to the harsh reality of where we are now.
"Most police forces do not have a mounted section and the occasions when they are a necessity are relatively few."
6 Comments
by tea_man
Tuesday, February 05 2013, 7:13AM
“The newly elected chair of the Humberside Police Federation Joint Branch Board could fill any gap left by a Police Horse.....”
by 23041642
Monday, February 04 2013, 11:19PM
“localad
I was responding to the police federation's comments by Mr Blanchard. I stated 'sentiment' as a general observation as a lot of commentators are looking at this through rose tinted specs and moan 'aww what a shame' they're going, without any substance.
I am happy for you to list those other 'public order issues' that the mounted section are invaluable in, that cannot be done by another means? Please don't say 'crowd control' as that is not a problem in Hull's (or any other towns), publicorder.
I ask again; how do 75% of other forces seem to manage without horses. If they were that invaluable they'd all have them?! North Yorkshire binned theirs years ago and I don't see running battles on the streets of Scarborough or York. Despite their obvious tourist attractions and extra crowds in summer they seem to manage.
I still say it's time for them to go. A resource first used 150 years ago is not fit for purpose in today's policing. Get over it.”
by dontwo
Monday, February 04 2013, 7:58PM
“The Brady bunch ought to be holding a referendum on reducing our Council tax with all these cuts going on. Treating us lot in Hull like idiots when we are expected to pay more for less in the services we get.
If money has to be saved, get rid of that Police Commissioner and his good chum the Deputy or stop wasting money on the expensive luxury of having soft lads having worthless historic titles creaming off more of OUR cash on pomp and lovely jubbly expenses. Never mind penny pinching off front line services and getting rid of proper workers, get shut of the fat cat parasites, and certain "officers" and "portfolio holders" of the Council who are overpaid when they know and we know they dont really do anything about issues which effect most people except talk a good job.”
by localad
Monday, February 04 2013, 11:58AM
“23041642, you have missed the point, Mr Hollis has very reluctantly scrapped the mounted section, sentiment has nothing to do with this decision.
Had it not been for the massive cuts facing all public sectors the mounted section would be here, and they most definitely do have a place in modern policing.
You have become fixated on football, there are other public order issues where they are used, not just football.
You say sadly the horses time has come, what a ridiculous thing to say, they have been dsibanded due to cost, not because they don't have any operational use.”
by Blakey_
Monday, February 04 2013, 11:17AM
“A gap in a frontline equals a burger in the bun.”
by 23041642
Monday, February 04 2013, 9:16AM
“Mr Blanchard, you are clutching at straws. CCTV and the helecopter can search for missing persons. The 'exta officers' needed at footy matches can come from the, er... redundant mounted section officers? So drunks won't get to feed chips to the horses in Saturday Market in Beverley? Big deal. How many other forces seem to manage their football matches without horses? (75% if Hollis' figure is right). Horses are not 'versatile', an officer cannot jump off and arrest someone... unless they have another officer (on a horse) to hold their horse? Why should the police keep them 'just in case' other forces disband their horses and they can't hire any?
Mr Blanchard, you are confusing 'high profile' with 'front line', they are different things. The Chief is one but not the other. Sadly their time has come and we need to go the way other forces have gone. Sentiment is getting in the way of a practical decision here and as sad as it is, Hollis is right.”