THE moving around of the police’s mounted section was a ‘costly mistake’, according to South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Dr Alan Billings.
Having been based at Ring Farm in Cudworth since 1992, the decision was taken to move the horses and staff to Carr Gate, Wakefield, as part of a shared premises deal to save money two years ago.
However, the unit has recently returned to Ring Farm - which requires improvement work at a cost of £275,000.
The U-turn was brought up at a crime meeting on Tuesday night, held at Shafton Community Centre, which saw residents blast the ‘pointless’ decision which they say wasted money.
Dr Billings said: “The move was a mistake - it should have saved money but it didn’t and has cost us as a result. This was a genuine error.
“The decision was taken at a time when there was real pressure on the force. The same issue led to the abandonment of neighbourhood policing teams, which have now returned, and £8m was saved on staff.”
The £275,000 spend - which has been approved by Dr Billings - will bring Ring Farm’s derelict stables back into use.
“They (the horses) are expensive but are brilliant in certain situations, crowd control being the main one,” he said.
“We feel it is right to keep them in South Yorkshire as we have five football teams and a history of marches. They are invaluable, certainly with football.”
