Dogs and Mounted Unit -
History & Overview
The City of London Police is one of
the few Forces in Britain to have retained both their Dog
Section and Mounted Branch and have seen them both grow and
develop over the years.
We come under the remit of the Anti Terrorism and Public Order
Department based at Wood Street Police Station.
The Mounted Branch was first introduced to the Force in 1873,
and at that time the horses were hired in from local livery stables
on an ad hoc basis. Officers who had previous riding experience
from military service (Lifeguards or Blues and Royals) were tasked
with the job of being our first mounted officers.
In 1904 the then Commissioner, Sir William Nott-Bower, proposed
that police horses should be used to draw the police ambulances,
thus freeing up officers to continue with patrol. This proposal
also enabled the full time creation of the Mounted Branch through
funding secured for the ambulances.
Today we source our horses from around the country and can boast
the first piebald (brown and white) police horse in service.
Police dogs were first used in 1888 to track Jack The Ripper,
since that time training has improved and so have the results.
The City of London Police introduced a permanent dog section
during the 1950s consisting of a small number of German Shepherd
dogs.
Not only do the handlers have to attend and pass a selection
process, but so do the dogs. Not every animal is suited to becoming
a police dog and the selection criteria is based on the basic drive
instincts of the animal, it’s health and temperament. .
Our dogs are sourced from various locations, be that other
Police service breeding programmes, private breeders or rescue
homes but many of them come as gifts from owners who can no longer
cope with a highly driven animal.
Most dogs begin their career with us at about a year old and
work through until they are between 7 and 9 years old.
Both the Dog Section and Mounted Branch play a key role in the
proactive policing of the Square Mile – and sometimes beyond!