A better overview in urban areas, more respect for officers, and faster response times in precarious situation - there are a number of benefits to the suggestion.
Images from other countries of police on horses at protests, large events such as a G7 summit, or a football match are abundant.
"E Mountie kritt all Kéiers säi Mann" - would be the literal translation for 'A Mountie always gets his man'
Mounted police are most common in the USA or the United Kingdom, but also finding more footing with our French and Belgian neighbours, said Wilmes in his proposal. He pointed out the success of the Brussels mounted police units, attributing this to the elevated position a mounted police officer has in a crowd. He also said horses were imposing creatures, radiating authority, as well as eliciting a good response from the public.
Police horses have proven to be particularly effective in cities, with better access through pedestrian areas and parks. A collaboration with the Belgian police could be feasible, said Wilmes, citing the example of Geneva, who launched a mounted police unit in 2018. The unit was trained in Belgium before embarking on the pilot project, making use of Belgian expertise.
Potential Luxembourgish police horses could come from private stables, Wilmes said, again pointing to Geneva police, who cooperated with private owners to avoid a completely new infrastructure.
In terms of price, the plan would be relatively affordable. In Etterbeek, a municipality in Brussels, eight police patrols rent horses to a budget of €55,000 a year.
