A DECISION on the future of a North Wales Police’s controversial four-horse mounted section will be made later this month.

Members of the region’s police authority were promised at their meeting at Colwyn Bay on Thursday that they will be consulted about any change.

A review has been carried out into the unit, brought in two years ago by former chief constable Richard Brunstrom at a cost of £300,000 and criticised by MPs among others as a waste of money.

The meeting was told a project has started to identify vital savings and efficiencies to meet the current financial climate.

New Chief Constable Mark Polin said local officers were to be given more discretion on how problems were resolved. He said officers had already found it “refreshing” that changes in the former target regime meant, for instance, that speeders could receive a warning if it was felt more suitable than an automatic ticket.

Mr Polin said: “We can’t guarantee frontline delivery will remain the same.
“But I think there are opportunities to improve notwithstanding what we plan.
“We are looking at what is taking up time for frontline officers and how we can do it better.”

Recruitment has already stopped and other cost-saving measures include reducing overtime.

Deputy Chief Constable Ian Shannon explained: “We are going to get smaller – there are no sacred cows. We are trying to do the same for very much less.”