Study offers reprieve hope for region’s mounted sections

The Yorkshire Post revealed earlier this month the region’s chief constables have agreed to prepare a business case for moving Humberside, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire’s mounted units into one location at Carr Gate in Wakefield and reducing the number of officers from 40.

While a final decision is yet to be made, the move now means merging the units is the preferred option, with the name of each individual force set to be removed from the mounted sections.

It has now emerged, however, that Rod Hansen, Association of Chief Police Officers lead
for mounted units, is set to
commission the first in-depth study examining how they help forces deal with public order incidents.

The study, which would be carried out by two research academics from Oxford University, is seen as one of the last hopes in keeping mounted sections in modern-day policing.

Jon Christopher, the chair of West Yorkshire Police Authority, said: “In West Yorkshire, the information is that the merger is likely to go ahead but until it is signed, sealed and delivered, anything could change.

“But each force has its own heritage and that would be such a shame to lose.

“If there is going to be a reprieve that would be fantastic.

“The mounted sections still have a role to play in the modern policing service.”

The decision to look at merging the units follows an internal review by all three forces.