SPD Mounted Unit @ Westwood: Last time we’ll see this?

| West Seattle news | West Seattle police | Westwood

Thanks to West Seattle writer (and world-traveling volunteer!) Lori Hinton for sharing this photo taken this afternoon at the Westwood Village Bank of America. We’ve seen teams from the West Seattle-headquartered Seattle Police Mounted Patrol at Westwood before – Becky shared a photo last February; a year earlier, we caught a photo at Westwood’s then-WaMu. SPD has told us they bring the horses to areas like this to get used to working in traffic. But now, as reported here more than a month ago, the Mounted Patrol is slated to be disbanded as part of the new budget – and while not all the fine print is finalized, we haven’t seen/heard anything indicating the mayor’s original proposal will change.

Dill November 13, 2010 (11:06 pm)

McGinn is a useless waste of time with no real purpose aside from making this city as crappy as humanly possible. Thanks for nothing, dude.

Bender November 14, 2010 (8:53 am)

Horses are beautiful. But if someone had just robbed me at the ATM and took off in their truck, I think I’d rather have a cop in a car go after my stuff.

Cheryl November 14, 2010 (3:31 pm)

I’ve seen the mounted police at Westwood before, but only because my daughter noticed them first (Mama! There’s a horse!”). Double take! Anyway, I really really hope that the Mayor, or city council, or whomever is in charge of this final decision changes their mind… what a shame it would be to lose them!

Sarah November 14, 2010 (3:32 pm)

The police officer was banking…I watched him collect the tube from the machine. It was pretty funny, but I don’t think he was there on “official police business”.

austin November 14, 2010 (4:45 pm)

I agree that horses are fun and nice but what real purpose do they serve in modern police work? Aside from getting cops to the ATM in style.

datamuse November 14, 2010 (5:16 pm)

They’re supposed to be really good for crowd control. You can sorta see it, I think; a bicycle officer is pretty vulnerable, and a patrol car isn’t much higher than someone walking. An officer on a horse is mobile, has visibility, and a pretty effective intimidation factor. (They’re also ideal for parks and rural areas, but that’s less of an issue in Seattle.)
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They can be good PR, too. When I worked downtown I saw mounted officers from time to time and people who might’ve otherwise ignored them or been hostile were really interested and intrigued by the horses.

Dina November 14, 2010 (7:21 pm)

Some food for thought on the effectiveness of mounted police from an article from the City of New Haven’s website (http://www.cityofnewhaven.com/Mayor/ReadMore.asp?ID={9BAFF722-D5B1-4C45-89A0-1A1499F48034})
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The purpose of the unit is four-fold:
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• Mounted officers are used in the same manner of patrol officers and are dispatched to calls for service just as are officers in cars, on motorcycles and on bicycles.

• Mounted officers are used for crowd control during parades, demonstrations, concerts and bar closings, since each horse is equal to 10 officers on foot patrol.

• Mounted officers are used for public relations functions such as school visits, since a member of the general public will talk with a person on a horse more readily than to an officer in a vehicle.

• Mounted officers are used in a ceremonial manner at functions such as parades, funerals and inaugurations.

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Many cities have increased their mounted units, including Boston and New York City, because mounted police officers enjoy a number of advantages. They can see from a much higher perspective and from a greater distance, which makes them valuable in patrol and crime deterrence. And while members of the public may not always respond positively to a police officer, almost everyone likes animals, which can enhance the interaction.

nighthawk November 14, 2010 (9:51 pm)

I realize that the budget cuts have to come from somewhere but this one is one I really don’t get. Once the mounted police are gone, it’s not something that can easily be restarted.

I think they do have an important purpose that can’t be easily replicated.

austin November 16, 2010 (7:05 pm)

Thanks datamuse and Dina, I had thought about it but couldn’t completely understand the importance of mounted police aside from a historical perspective. I agree it’s unfortunate that we’re losing this asset.

Sorry, comment time is over.