Visitors to Cassiobury Park in Watford will soon see a unique and highly visible policing presence in their local park, as mounted police officers will be deployed on Saturday, August 7, and again on Saturday, August 30, for Hertfordshire Pride, thanks to funding awarded by Police & Crime Commissioner Jonathan Ash-Edwards.
The Thames Valley Police Mounted Section will join Hertfordshire Police’s Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) officers and PCSOs from 10am until 4pm on both dates, providing reassurance patrols and positive engagement with the public.
This initiative is designed to create a strong visible presence, deter crime, and enhance community engagement and builds on the work done to increase police patrols in Watford town centre through Operation Hotspot.
The horses will be based inside the park to maximise visibility, with patrols radiating out from their horsebox location. Officers will also be on hand to respond to any reports of crime or intelligence, ensuring all incidents are dealt with in line with Hertfordshire Constabulary policy.
Police and Crime Commissioner Jonathan Ash-Edwards said: “Mounted police are a rare sight in Hertfordshire so I’m really pleased to support this funding bid by Watford police to bring police horses to Cassiobury Park on two days when the park will be busy with local events. The initiative is in addition to the Operation Hotspot patrols which have been a real success in Watford High Street and have now also been extended to Cassiobury Park.
“This will be a great opportunity for the public to meet neighbourhood officers and the police horses and enjoy a visible sense of safety while enjoying the park, running in the parkrun or celebrating Herts Pride. It’s part of our Safer Town Centres initiative to ensure Hertfordshire’s town centres and parks are great places for the community to enjoy safely this summer.”
The first patrol on August 7 coincides with a busy summer period and parkrun, when the park is expected to attract large crowds if the weather is favourable. The second patrol on August 30 takes place on the day of Herts Pride, ensuring a strong visible presence alongside the event, though the mounted patrols are independent of the festival.
Mounted officers provide unique benefits for policing public spaces:
- They increase visibility, offering a strong deterrent to anti-social behaviour.
- They enhance engagement, attracting interest from residents and families.
- Their elevated position helps spot and monitor activity more effectively than on foot.
This initiative will showcase policing in a community-focused and accessible way helping to make Cassiobury Park even safer while they are being enjoyed by thousands of people on these two events.
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