Equine enthusiasts are being urged to take advantage of a new identification pack to help protect their horses and tack.
North Yorkshire Police have created the downloadable packs as part of their Horsewatch scheme, aiming to make it easier to reunite horse owners with their lost or stolen property, and secure convictions at court.
The 12-page pack is now available to download from the North Yorkshire Police website at www.northyorkshire.police.uk/horsewatch, as well as the dedicated NYP Horsewatch Twitter and Facebook accounts.
Horse owners are being encouraged to print out a pack, fill it in with details and photographs of horses, tack, horseboxes and trailers and other equipment, and then keep it in a safe place.
Should the worst happen, and something is lost or stolen, the completed pack can provide vital information to help police track it down.
PC Hannah McPeake, of the force’s Rural Taskforce, said:
Stables and tack rooms contain valuable property and sadly are a target for criminals. Although North Yorkshire is a very safe place, and levels of equestrian crime are low, it’s worth spending a few minutes now to ensure you have taken every possible step to protect your property.
If the worst should happen, and you do become a victim of crime, it’s important that you have details, identifying features and photographs of your horses and equipment to hand. Providing that information to the police promptly could help us return your equipment to you, and even secure convictions at court.
As part of North Yorkshire Police’s Horsewatch scheme, officers will also be at venues near Harrogate, Richmond and York offering free tack marking sessions in November and December.
Using sophisticated ‘dot peen’ property marking technology, leather items of tack can be marked with a unique number, deterring would-be thieves and ideal for adding into the identification pack.
The tack marking drop-in sessions will take place as follows:
- Saturday 12 November 2016 between 12pm and 3pm, at Beaver Horse Shop, Windmill Farm, Otley Rd, nr. Beckwithshaw, Harrogate HG3 1QL
- Saturday 3 December 2016 between 12.30pm and 2.30pm, at Millbryhill, Broken Brea Farm, Easby, Richmond, North Yorkshire, DL10 7EY
- Sunday 4 December 2016 between 12pm and 3pm at RideAway, Stillington Road, Sutton-on-the-Forest, York, YO61 1EH
Horse owners and enthusiasts are also invited to follow the Horsewatch scheme on social media – via NYP Horsewatch on Facebook, and @NYP_Horsewatch on Twitter – so they can find out about future events and be made aware of any equestrian crimes in their area. To get in touch with the scheme, email horsewatch@northyorkshire.pnn.police.uk
North Yorkshire Police’s Rural Taskforce works proactively alongside colleagues, partners and volunteers to increase engagement with rural communities, target criminals who offend in our rural areas, and provide bespoke crime prevention advice to those at risk of criminality.
You can meet members of the Taskforce at community events throughout the year, including markets, auctions and shows. You can also follow the team’s work on Twitter at @NYPRuralTF or via the North Yorkshire Police Rural Taskforce Facebook page.
