Rural Mounted Volunteers launched to help tackle Rural Crime

This week I am delighted to announce the launch of the Dorset Police Rural Mounted Volunteers scheme. The scheme will see volunteers on horseback work with the Dorset Police Rural Crime Team, providing intelligence and information to support and protect local rural communities.

Yesterday, I was pleased to welcome the first four volunteers into the scheme at the launch ceremony at Kingston Maurward College. The volunteers will engage with local rural communities while out on their regular hacks along bridleways, lanes and country roads, gathering intelligence and reporting anything suspicious.

I have wanted to introduce this scheme for a while, so seeing it come to fruition is really pleasing. Having mounted rural volunteers will help further connect the Dorset Police Rural Crime Team with the communities they serve as well as offer a unique vantage point that will not only gather intelligence that may have been missed by standard patrols but improve visibility within our rural communities.

Rural Mounted Volunteers will be the eyes and ears for rural communities, similar to Neighbourhood Watch groups. They will work closely with the Dorset Police Rural Crime Team, providing intelligence and information to help support crime prevention.

With their elevated positions on horseback, the Rural Mounted Volunteers have a unique vantage point and can spot many things that someone on foot or in a vehicle might not otherwise be able to see or even be able to get near to. This is all valuable information, which might not otherwise come to police attention.

Dorset Police volunteers come from all walks of life and bring with them an array of skills and experiences. Sharing their knowledge and time with the police will make a positive impact on all rural communities across Dorset. All volunteers are issued with a high-visibility jacket featuring the Rural Mounted Volunteer logo, while their horses are equipped with reflective sheets and leg wrappings.

I look forward to seeing the scheme expand and encourage anyone with a horse who wants to support police in their communities to get involved. This is just one more weapon in the armoury when it comes to taking the fight to the criminals who plague our countryside.

If you are interested in becoming a Rural Mounted Volunteer please email: vol@dorset.pnn.police.uk 

David Sidwick

Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner