Last weekend the Queensland Police force deployed two horses to the streets of Airlie Beach.
Sergeant (Sgt) Ben Bassingthwaighte said the Brisbane based Queensland Mounted Police unit were in Airlie Beach and the surrounding areas in relation to high visibility controls, with the main focus of being visible in the community and being able to offer support.
“Horses are still relevant, even amongst modern technology, in that they're highly visible,” he said.
“They're there to provide safety for the community. They make the community feel safe.
“They are a very good connector for the community as well, the community really get a buzz out of seeing the horses. But they're also a great deterrent as far as crime.
“There are two sides to the same coin as far as their capability. So, they do attract people to come up and say hello. We're attracting a lot of community engagement, explaining why we're there, explaining community safety messaging and things like that.
“So they're great in that regard, but they're also a great deterrent.
“They can do the work of about four officers, particularly in crowded districts like here at Airlie Beach on Friday and Saturday night, which is supporting the police operations for the next two days; they provide a great presence in that regard.
Sgt Bassingthwaighte also said that patrol officers are commonly not seen, but having Police on main streets are highly beneficial.
“Most of our work is supporting frontline. 90% of our work is doing proactive control and supporting events to help police events and things of that nature, and that's why we're here today.”
Inspector Glenn Cameron said the main message Queensland Police wanted to convey is that the Police are part of the community.
“We want to get out there and engage with the community and make the community feel safe,” he said.
Availability of the Queensland Mounted Police unit varies but Inspector Glenn Cameron hopes it becomes a more regular deployment.
Sergeant Ben Bassingthwaighte and Lance
Sergeant Ben Bassingthwaighte and Lance, with Constable Debbie Bruntflett and Karma
Photo credit: Daniel Heggie
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