Should Horses be used by the Police? CHLOE

SHOULD HORSES BE USED BY THE POLICE?

By Chloe

Since 1760 there have been equine officers patrolling the streets of London. Horses are integrated within history and modern-day culture, as they serve not only as a policing force, but also as a subtle symbol of the irreplaceable role horses played in our society.

What started out as a way to prevent highwaymen stealing from people walking around central London, expanded in 1805 from 8 horses to 50. The Mounted Police were then moved to rural areas to help prevent livestock theft as the city developed and trains became more common. The modern-day mounted branch was created by Lt Col Laurie in 1919.

Horses can take from 6 months to 2 years to be ready to go out on jobs and despite how the training that the horses undergo has developed, the tasks the officers and their horses are given has barely changed. Yet, cities are rife with traffic, urban areas have become more crowded and littered, and demonstrations and riots have become more common and more violent. So, should the police still be using horses to control these scenes?

REFERENCES

https://animalsinhumansocieties.weebly.com/police-horses.html

www.scienceabc.com/social-science/why-do-policemen-in-somebig-cities-still-use-horses.html

www.rand.org/randeurope/research/projects/mounted-policeuk.html

www.horseandhound.co.uk/tag/police-horses

There are many advantages to the police using horses. One mounted officer has the same effect as 1012 officers on foot, because they have a higher vantage point and can move faster when necessary. There are numerous real-life examples in the UK, when 3 or 4 mounted cops managed to scatter a rowdy crowd after several dozen riot-geared policemen on foot were unsuccessful in doing so. Riding is much faster than walking or driving so when conducting a search and rescue operation in a remote area more ground can be covered to find the missing person. Horses can be used in places where cars cannot possibly go, such as through a narrow park entrance or in areas of wilderness. The horses encourage more interactions between the police and members of the public as people come up to see the horses and are more likely to engage in conversation with the officer on horseback than the officer on foot. At the same time, horses can also come across as intimidating therefore deterring criminals. Larger horses weighing between 600 and 800kg are very useful for moving crowds due to the sheer size and strength of the horse and the fear people have of being trodden on or kicked. Horses can have a calming effect on crowds which helps officers disperse crowds collectedly, and a welltrained horse should not spook at loud noises or sudden bangs. The police force takes the welfare of the horses very seriously, so they are treated extremely well and to a high standard, partly due to the large amount of money put into the production and maintenance of the horses. An example of this is that it is common for ex-police horses to end up in sanctuaries and rescue centres to provide them with a quiet, loving home for them to live in for the rest of their lives.

However, there are many disadvantages to using horses for crowd control. If a crowd begins to get violent, which starts making the horse anxious, dispersing a crowd peacefully can very quickly go downhill. The horses are often used for crowd control, and as a barrier to move people in a specific direction. Whilst they are trained to push against resistance, no horse or rider can be prepared for every situation. Furthermore, horses are naturally flight animals, which means they will run from danger rather than stay to fight it. If a horse encounters a situation they have not been trained to handle, they will most likely run, which can result in the rider, horse and/or civilians being injured. A danger to the public is imposed, as they could potentially be trampled by an animal that weighs over 1000lb. A police horse can also suffer from heat stroke or dehydration, or runs the risk of breaking a leg if its hoof gets stuck on objects when it gets spooked. When crowds turn violent, horses are often subject to many dangers as objects may be thrown at the officers and horses such as glass bottles, bricks and stones to name a few.

To conclude, I think horses should still be used by the police force as they create a lot more interaction between police and the public, and make people feel safer. However, I do not think horses should be used as riot control as there is very little space for the horses to move and many get injured during these riots. As a flight animal, conflict goes against everything they naturally do and they very rarely get a choice as to whether they are involved or not.