Equestrian unit to make their hooves heard in Essex

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In almost a decade there has been no police horses or mounted regiment in Essex. However, this is all set to change as horses are poised to make a comeback.

The new equestrian recruits made their debut in Chelmsford on 20 December and will start their full time employment in February 2008. The horse riding regiment are expected to have a big impact on the crime levels and will not be limited to just policing football matches.

The unit, as stated by the chief inspector of Essex Police, will “give a great deal of reassurance and do a lot to promote good relations between police and public. They’ll be working nine-hour shifts and will have a presence in both rural and urban areas. The unit will also investigate all equine crime in the county.”

The equestrian unit will be transported across Essex in a state-of-the-art horsebox that also doubles as a mobile police point. The police are looking for local companies to aid with the units funding in return for sponsorship advertisements on the side of the horseboxes.

All horses were selected by Cobham Manor Equestrian Centre in Kent and will be based at Writtle College in Chelmsford.