It’s Time to Remove Police Horses from Frontline Duties.
An animal’s role must be hazardous if it needs protective gear just like human colleagues.
Police horses and dogs have come under increasing risk from drunkenness and violence. Every football season horses meant to protect citizens are injured or attacked by those they are meant to protect, further showing that many have no respect for animal lives; evidenced in one incident at a recent match.
At a Portsmouth – Southampton derby match at the end of September 2019, an intoxicated 42 year old fan, who should have known better, punched a police horse, fled away before being pursued by its mounted officer and arrested for animal cruelty and attempted criminal damage – although initially found the whole situation amusing (see video). See video.
On Easter Monday in 2018, Morecombe the Police Horse tragically passed away while patrolling a League One football match between Blackpool and Fleetwood Town after slipping while “responding to reports of disorder”. While his rider was taken by air ambulance to hospital for treatment, Morecombe was declared deceased at the scene after colliding with a metal pole that punctured his stomach and puncturing its organs.
Today we live in an age where police possess highly advanced tools such as tasers, pepper spray, stab vests, high performance cars, big red keys and helicopters – yet most police forces worldwide still resort to using horses on the front-line to combat crime or calm disturbances, potentially risking injury or death in doing so.
Back in November 2105, six police horses were injured when protesters “glassed” them during the Million Mask March in Central London. A horse named Embassy was left with severe side, rear fetlock, front leg and eye injuries as a result of being hit with sticks from protestors; others also sustained hind leg glass injuries as well as eye trauma due to being hit with sticks; an innocent passerby was attacked while trying to assist one of these horses while an aid worker was attacked while helping one; furthermore a mounted officer sustained a broken wrist – something all too frequently happens during these marches!
Unfortunately, I remember the shocking scenes of police horses being attacked by coal miners during riots during the seventies; this has only become worse over time. Stabbing and shooting people has become common practice today; yet no one would hesitate to attack or injure a horse regardless of Finn’s law; we already rely on protective guards for our horses’ eyes, faces, legs – do we really need this continued use of them in such fashion?
Oxford University and RAND Europe research conducted in 2014 indicates that police horses spend 60-70% of their working time patrolling streets to increase visibility for police, with 20% dedicated to keeping public order during football matches or demonstrations, leaving just 10% for ceremonial duties.
Bernard Higgins, Assistant Chief Constable states that horses patrolling has a positive effect on public reassurance and keeps people safer, according to an Associate Chief Constable. They also create greater trust and confidence with the public as being 12 feet tall they cannot be missed by members of the public and they tend to remember seeing them more readily than policemen walking alone on foot; these horses give an impression of better police presence as people remember seeing them rather than policeman on foot patrolling alone. South and West Yorkshire Police consider horses an invaluable “strong operational resource”, thus keeping their horses and have decided to keep them as an operational resource!
According to surveys conducted, we are six times more likely to interact with police officers on horses than with officers who stand on their own feet, due to the novelty value that lures children and adults alike towards these unique officers who want us to stroke their horse and engage in conversation.
IF THIS RESEARC is accurate, it would appear more beneficial for the police force if horses were exclusively assigned public relations and ceremonial tasks without involvement in dangerous situations; but there remains the concern of whether their health and wellbeing may be at stake by being exposed to slippery streets with traffic congestion at all times.