The Police Administration has introduced the use of horses for patrol operations within Tema and Accra and their surrounding communities.
The officers on horseback referred to as troopers, are to augment other police patrol duties such as community foot patrol, motorbike patrol, visibility patrol, which mostly uses vehicles, and the recently deployed motorcycle traffic management and mobility teams.
Their activities according to the Police Administration forms part of their resolve to fight crime and win the fight against crime.
Horses can move and maneuver in tighter areas, such as shop streets, sidewalks, although cars can also, technically, move through these areas, it’s not advised, as they may be too noisy or impractical to use in specific areas, and can lead to congestion on the streets.
Horses offer a significant height advantage and move easily through thick pockets of people.
As such, being on a horse affords more visibility and situational awareness to the officer riding it and Mounted policemen are found to be particularly effective in breaking up and dispersing unruly crowds, especially the kind often seen following football matches.
Policemen riding on horseback are also trained for conducting search and rescue operations and they can carry plenty of supplies and continue searching for long periods, especially in areas where squad cars cannot go.
Source: Mybrytfmonline.com/Kofi Atakora
