Mounted horse patrols eyed in city

WORCESTER - City Manager Edward M. Augustus Jr. wants to introduce mounted horse patrols as part of the Police Department's public safety resources and community policing efforts.

Mr. Augustus is recommending to the City Council establishment of a Mounted Police Unit, to augment and enhance local community policing tactics, including crowd management and neighborhood patrol support.

He said the unit will also serve as front-line officers in neighborhoods and parks by proactively patrolling them daily, as well as addressing quality-of-life issues such as loitering, vagrancy, street-level crime and homelessness.

Mr. Augustus said he will bring before the City Council within a few weeks a recommendation requesting startup funding for the program of $100,000.

The manager said law enforcement experts estimate that a horse and rider can do the job of 10 to 20 police officers on foot in crowd-management situations.

He said mounted police patrols also can serve as "ambassadors of good will” by engaging with residents of all ages.

Mr. Augustus said the Mounted Police Unit will operate year-round and consist of one lieutenant, one sergeant, four full-time officers, three trained back-up officers and four horses.

The manager said it is his intention to have the Mounted Police Unit's inaugural ride coincide with next year's Memorial Day festivities.

Troopers in the Massachusetts State Police mounted unit will partner with the Police Department's unit for the first several weeks to ensure a smooth introduction to the community, he said.

Training is scheduled to begin this winter once the officers for the unit are selected.

This is not the first attempt to put Worcester police officers in the saddle. In 2006, the department and former City Manager Michael V. O'Brien tried to launch a similar unit funded with private donations. 

Police Chief Steven M. Sargent said state police will host a six-week training for the Worcester mounted unit officers, at no cost to the city, out of the state police barn in Acton.

In addition, he said, Worcester County Sheriff Lewis Evangelidis has offered his department's barn at the Worcester County House of Correction to serve as the home for the city's horses.

Members of the sheriff's community services program would care for the barn and stalls, the chief said.

"All partners involved to date have stressed the importance of community involvement from the onset of our program as we incorporate our horses into the city family," Mr. Augustus wrote in a report that is to go before the City Council Tuesday night.

To that end, the manager said opportunities will be available for partners in the community to support the effort by being "presenting sponsors" of the Mounted Police Unit – four sponsorships at $25,000 each.

Mr. Augustus said each presenting sponsor would receive naming rights to one of the horses, as well as have prominent logo placement on the unit's two transport trailers.

In addition, sponsoring company names will be on a plaque above the horse stall in the unit's barn.

Funds from the sponsorships will be used to purchase the horses and equipment for the officers and horses, as well as pay for the feeding and care of the horses.

"Additional sponsorship opportunities will be available to support the year-round care of the horses and the operational needs and the purchase of the trailers and vehicles needed to transport the horses daily," Mr. Augustus said.

Chief Sargent said members of his department have been working closely with the city manager during the past several months on exploring the benefits of a Mounted Police Unit.

He said the group, which included Capt. Roger Steele and Lt. Joseph Ashe, completed hours of research, in addition to visiting with established mounted units that included the state police, Boston Parks Rangers and the New England Mounted Police Association.

"The common themes driven home by all the groups during each visit was the value of the mounted units as key resources for their department efforts to build community relations during this difficult time for police officers and, secondly, as front-line officers who are in their neighborhoods and parks daily addressing quality-of-life issues," Chief Sargent said.

"Our neighborhoods will benefit greatly from having mounted patrols in varying ways, with a top priority of the patrol being the ability to address street-level criminal concerns, in conjunction with our Neighborhood Response Team," he added.