Step Two -

Identifying The Political Pros And Cons You Will Face.

The pro's of horse policing are many: (steal from motorcycle and bicycle unit justifications)

The animal gives the officer a platform for superior field of vision in crowds, parking lots, malls, uneven torrain and in high vegitation

A horse can go where even motorcyles cannot and can move faster than a bicylce cop and can carry more emergency equipment than a bicycle

A horse will defend it's rider, like a K-9 partner (I have video of a horse making an arrest - holding a rioter against a wall while his rider handcuffed another rioter)

The public will go out of their way to talk to the horse and its rider (CCOPs)

5 or more mounted officers in various formation can control large groups @ a 1:20 ratio. A few demonstration kicks and a strong side pass will influence most sober persons to get out of the way, very quickly.

There is an honor to having mounted officers in public function like no other

Horses are enviornmentally sound and can work in parks, forests and beaches where vehicles either cannot operate or would cause great damage.

The con's are many also:

A horse is a very expensive item to select, train and maintain.

Everyone is worried about liability, insurance and special benefits attached to mounted service.

How does your Chief and the City Manager think about such a program. It's my experience that is THE MOST IMPORTANT FIRST STEP! Without their support, and a majority of your City Council, you're just wasting your valuable time.


Identifying who will benefit:


Who is your constituency:


Who are your opponents:


What are your resources.