Nambour welcomes mounted police in high-profile initiative

Mounted police officers at Nambour Railway Station.

by Janine Hill

The visible police presence in Nambour went to new heights recently with two mounted police spotted riding through town.

The mounted officers and their steeds took a leisurely evening walk through Currie Street on Wednesday, 16 August and were also pictured, above, at the Nambour Railway Station.

Queensland’s mounted police are based at Moggill, in Brisbane’s northwest, and are an uncommon sight on the Sunshine Coast.

The Queensland Police Service’s media section had little information to provide on the mounties latest local appearance, apart from saying they were part of the “high visibility policing” in Nambour.

Mounted police officers carry out the same operational duties as other officers but from horseback.

There are only 10 mounted police officers in Queensland and each works mainly with two horses, one of which is often in training or a developmental stage, according to a QPS blog on the mounted police.

It says that fully operational horses are trained for any situation, from suburban patrols to ceremonial events, and community engagement to working Safe Night Precincts.

The blog goes on to say that the horses usually start in suburban areas and progress through to the highest intensity environments, such as Safe Night Precincts as in Fortitude Valley.

Central Nambour has been designated a Special Entertainment Precinct.

No nightclubs have opened yet but the Currie Street patrol would have allowed the officers and horses to familiarise themselves with the area and with the community.

It was reported to the Gazette that the mounted police were greeted with smiles and waves from passers-by.

Business people, staff and regular visitors to the Nambour CBD area have noted an increased police presence in Lowe Street and nearby areas in recent weeks.

It comes after mounting frustration within members of the business community and the public over anti-social behaviour in central Nambour, particularly in the vicinity of the public square in Lowe Street.