Before the universal adoption of the motor car, police rode horses that were stabled and reared on paddocks that were adjacent to or near to police stations.
[1][2][3] Mounted police units still exist and are frequently used for crowd control at public demonstrations.
"[4] Usage of the term is found in Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria.
Police paddocks were an obvious place to play sports, and many suburban sports were played on police paddocks.
Since the widespread use of horses has been abandoned, the paddocks have become redundant, and many have been turned into sports stadiums or parks.