Mounted Police volunteers sought for rural Suffolk patrol

Rural communities in the west of Suffolk will see the first wave of special constables mounted on horseback patrolling the countryside to combat crime, the East Anglian Daily Times reported on 18th August 2014. Suffolk's police and crime commissioner Tim Passmore, who is spearheading the plan, said the horseback specials will provide reassurances to rural communities, help prevent crime by using their local knowledge to access areas deemed inaccessible to police patrol cars and improve the force's intelligence picture.

Mr Passmore said he had gained the full backing of Suffolk Constabulary's new Deputy Chief Constable Gareth Wilson, explaining it will be funded by "existing resources". He hopes to have up to 20 volunteers signed up within the next two or three years.

The horseback volunteers, using their own horses, could be assigned duties such as patrolling country lanes, detaining speeding drivers, dealing with fly tipping, tackling poaching and helping injured livestock and wildlife.
The scheme was first introduced by Hertfordshire Police in 2009.
A recruitment process is under way and people interested in signing up are urged to contact Mr Passmore through his websitewww.suffolk-pcc.gov.uk.