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Police horses riding back to Denmark – but not for a while

The Local Denmark
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Police horses riding back to Denmark – but not for a while
Police horses in Copenhagen in 2008. File photo: Niels Hougaard/Polfoto/Ritzau

Denmark is considering purchasing trained police horses from abroad to meet a provision to reintroduce the animal to law enforcement in the country.

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Funding was allocated to bring police horses back to Danish streets in the budget secured by the government earlier this month.

But it could take over two years to fully reintroduce police horses, which were last used in the country in 2012, writes Ritzau, citing a parliamentary response given by Minister of Justice Søren Pape Poulsen.

“We know from other countries that [police horses] are very good for deployment at demonstrations, where they can help reduce the number of police officers needed on the ground,” justice spokesperson Peter Kofod Poulsen of the Danish People’s Party, which voted for the budget, said when the deal was announced.

But Poulsen implied demonstrations were not the primary factor behind bringing back police horses.

The minister cited the budget’s reference to the ‘re-establishing of a cavalry section in the Danish police’.

“Specifically, a cavalry section will be established for use in ceremonial assignments as well as patrolling in tourist areas,” he said according to Ritzau’s report.

“It should also be noted that necessary housing facilities must be built and horses must be purchased and trained and personnel trained,” Poulsen said.

“Depending on the market, it may as such take two years before the horses can take part in police work. Assessment is, though, being made as to whether the phasing in of horses can be made faster be purchasing trained horses from other countries, as was done when police horses were last reintroduced by Copenhagen Police in 1998,” he added.

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