The Essex Horse Rider Volunteer Scheme (EHRVS) is a proactive Essex Police Watch scheme, where members carrying out their usual rides in the Essex County Council area are encouraged to look out for offences and crimes and report them to the relevant authority. Riders in their elevated positions and being able to access more remote areas on horseback can be a great help when it comes to fighting crime in rural areas.As some offences, especially those affecting rural areas may not be that obvious, Essex Police provides information in the form of a handbook to help members identify offences and then who to report them to. We currently have 85 Essex Horse Rider Volunteers in our scheme, but we could do with more. Last year at least 47 incidents were witnessed and reported by EHRVS members, including one vulnerable person having a mental health crisis and needing help. Interested riders, 18yrs or older, need to complete an expression of interest form via the Essex Police Website. Someone will then get it touch to arrange to meet you and your horse then run through the handbook with you. As this is a proactive scheme, Essex Police is obliged to carry out some simple due diligence checks to ensure the volunteers and their mounts are suitable and that the rider has public liability insurance for riding in public. Riders need not own the horse but will need the permission of the horse owner. Riders are advised to observe and report but not get involved or put themselves at risk. It is up to the volunteer as to how many rides are undertaken, but, we ask that a very brief “patrol” return is completed when something has been reported or if there is nothing to report an occasional report is still requested in order to help us evaluate the scheme, More information and an application form is available online at the Essex Police website: https://www.essex.police.uk/police-forces/essex-police/areas/essex-police/au/about-us/essex-watch/essex-horse-rider-volunteer-scheme/