A police campaign to recruit horseback-mounted special constables to patrol the Suffolk countryside and combat rural crime was launched in the Grand Ring.
Tim Passmore, Suffolk’s police and crime commissioner, is spearheading the initiative and said the Suffolk Show was the “perfect” place its awareness.
He said criminals will be caught out by the “surprise factor” of the horseback volunteers, who, using their own horses, can patrol country lanes, detain speeding drivers, address fly-tipping, tackle poaching and help injured livestock and wildlife.
Mr Passmore said: “We are really delighted to launch volunteers on horseback at the Suffolk Show; the county’s premier event of the year.
“We have already got nearly 10 people signed up to it and we hope by launching it here, at this auspicious event, to get more people to do it.
“It is going to be an eyes and ear approach. We are not asking people to volunteer and arrest anyone: it is raising awareness of the fight against rural crime and it gives us another dimension.
“On horseback, you can access all sorts of areas that you cannot get to in a vehicle.
“Volunteers will feed back information and if they see anything suspicious, we can get response teams out.
“It will provide reassurance to rural areas and we will hopefully end up with a countywide network of volunteers on horseback. It is a fantastic opportunity and one that we hope will go from strength to strength.”
To apply, visit www.suffolk.police.uk.
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