Blogs Feb 7, 2011 at 3:35 pm

Help Save SPD's Most Popular Unit—the Horses.

Cienna Madrid
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Comments

1
Horses are cool.

Plus they tend not to discriminate on the basis of race, or shoot woodcarvers. At least in terms of humans ...
Will in Seattle on February 7, 2011 at 3:39 PM Report this
2
Why do people wanted to save police horses? I am as horse-crazy as they come, and consequently I'm familiar with the cost of keeping horses, and I think police horses in this day and age are complete fiscal insanity. So seriously, can someone tell me why?
yourmom.com on February 7, 2011 at 3:41 PM Report this
3
@2, I agree, bikes would be cheaper and improve the health of many of our more...robust officers shall we say.

Last of the Time Lords on February 7, 2011 at 3:44 PM Report this
4
For the same reason Seattle has three fire boats (and dykes on bikes). They're cool in parades and we all feel civic pride when they do their thang.
six shooter on February 7, 2011 at 3:50 PM Report this
5
Money that could go... literally anywhere to be put to better use. This isn't 1855, put 'em on a bike.
BigSid on February 7, 2011 at 3:51 PM Report this
6
@2 And police on horses are what they're going to send in to control crowds if there's ever a public protest that gets out of hand ...
on February 7, 2011 at 3:52 PM Report this
7
I don't even think the horses can get up some of the hills downtown. Metal shoes don't provide a ton of traction on cement. I bet putting all of those officers on bikes could cost less than maintaining one of those horses.
Erich on February 7, 2011 at 3:55 PM Report this
8
As soon as they start packing out the piles of manure they leave all over the place, sure.
Westlake, son! on February 7, 2011 at 4:01 PM Report this
9
Can't we compromise and have more officers on bikes and keep the horses?
Will in Seattle on February 7, 2011 at 4:02 PM Report this
10
I really dont see the need for horses these days, the money should go towards helping re-locate the horses to adoptive families. You can get 10' tall electrical tripod vechincles that serve the same purpose.
Kinison on February 7, 2011 at 4:05 PM Report this
11
Well at least it seems like the SPF and The Guardian don't use the same writers.
OuterCow on February 7, 2011 at 4:06 PM Report this
12
Cops on horses have a much higher vantage point, which is helpful in crowd observation and control, like at a parade or (even a totally peaceful) protest. So, unless we are going to give some cops those old-style bicycles with the ginormous front wheel, we probably should save the cop horses.
Luckier on February 7, 2011 at 4:06 PM Report this
13
If those horses can stop the constant car prowls then hells yeah let's finance the shit out of 'em. If not, then I'm sure there's a nice horse farm out in Enumclaw they can retire to and we can put the money towards late night car prowling tweaker roundups.
SPG on February 7, 2011 at 4:08 PM Report this
14
I imagine Charles has interesting thoughts regarding the use of horses for law enforcement in a modern urban environment.
laterite on February 7, 2011 at 4:09 PM Report this
15
@7 Often police horses are shod with rubber soles or high traction metal (I don't know about Seattle though).
SCalmlyW on February 7, 2011 at 4:10 PM Report this
16
They shoot woodcarvers, don't they?
Jason Petersen on February 7, 2011 at 4:11 PM Report this
17
Why is this post illustrated with a picture of Tim Eyman?
on February 7, 2011 at 4:14 PM Report this
18
Will @ 9 hilariously illustrates the political mindset: We have this tremendous fiscal problem which requires us to cut either A or B. Some people prefer A, some B. We shall compromise by spending more on both A and B.
David Wright on February 7, 2011 at 4:15 PM Report this
19
no no no, Cienna! horses don't have coke habits. they are heroin addicts. why do you think they call it horse?
scary tyler moore on February 7, 2011 at 4:32 PM Report this
20
Let's retire the horses to a stud farm, and while we're at it, do the same for those motorcycle cops that seem to do nothing but issue jaywalking tickets.
Joe Szilagyi on February 7, 2011 at 4:34 PM Report this
21
ahhh...but as the song goes "Cocaine's for horses and not for men/Doctor says it'll kill you but don't know when".
gnossos on February 7, 2011 at 4:37 PM Report this
22
@18 or .. we could just kill the Tunnel and everything would be right as rain.
Will in Seattle on February 7, 2011 at 4:37 PM Report this
23
Mounted police , hehe, offer high efficiency crowd control in every situation because they're on a fucking horse!!! Who isn't terrified of anyone on a horse? I wonder what measures they take to control their cost? You can always find free hay and vets if your a public servant.
svensken on February 7, 2011 at 5:20 PM Report this
24
fuck the police and their mounted pr bullshit.
masgroovy on February 7, 2011 at 5:23 PM Report this
25
Do we really need our police using horses to control crowds? Our cops are out of control, and should not be trusted with something that can trample people.

Replace the horses with segways -- they still give the officers a view above the crowd, and maybe we can put plush horse heads on them so the police can still play cowboy.
Gus on February 7, 2011 at 5:47 PM Report this
26
12 -- that's a great idea. Problem solved.

Plus, my dog's hungry. Alpo FTW.
wilbur@work on February 7, 2011 at 6:14 PM Report this
27
Actually, a private source rescued the horses ... think it's in the PI or Times already - or was that in Police 911 at the PI?
Will in Seattle on February 7, 2011 at 6:17 PM Report this
28
alright, it's 20-fucking-11, if we don't have any other methods of crowd control/observation from a high vantage point than horses, then we don't deserve any kind of civil order. Plus I'm sick of getting shoved off of the sidewalk by a pair of draft horses and then stepping in their shit. Yeah, I love horses and they're pretty and crap but there are plenty of other(better) places to see them in western Washington than the U district. Also...budget, rabblerabblerabble.
olive on February 7, 2011 at 6:26 PM Report this
29
Am I missing something, or was the whole point of the article that a non-profit is covering the cost of the horse unit?
UnoriginalAndrew on February 7, 2011 at 6:28 PM Report this
30
Fuck horses and their shit. I live downtown and I'm fucking sick of smelling and stepping over horse shit on the sidewalk in front of my building.

How the fuck is it legal for the cops not to pick up (shovel up?) after their horses *immediately after* they do their business? I am fully aware that the department does send around a truck to scoop up shit after the horses - yes, this is part of the budget - but that truck usually shows up days later after the shit has turned to a pile of grass. At that point, they might as well leave it. The shit is most noxious right after it's hit the ground, but the cops don't clean it up then.

Ultra-fuck that mounted unit.

Also, I agree with #25. Right now I don't trust the cops with lethal force or to de-escalate engagements. Why should I trust them with a panicky 1200 lb animal on city streets if they can't even handle teenagers and inebriates without resorting to force?
on February 7, 2011 at 6:42 PM Report this
31
@6 and @23 have it. Mounted officers are great in crowd control situations since they have much better visibility over the crowd and can move within it relatively efficiently. Too bad they didn't use them during the Mardi Gras riot in Pioneer Square back in 01 or whenever it was. They're one of the main ways New Orleans keeps order during their Mardi Gras...

@28 you're wanting Seattle to get more Skywatch mobile police towers. There was one at 6th-ish and Denny during NYE. Problem is, you have to man them, then radio down to officers in the crowd when the see a problem. Mounted patrols can act in both capacities, and there are more of them. Also, its hard to get respect for a segway when navigating the path at HempFest, and horse-mounted patrols have no problem with that.
NaFun on February 7, 2011 at 6:52 PM Report this
32
OK, OK, OK, I just got an idea. This may be just the leverage we need. Clean up your act now, you fucking turkeys, or we take your horsies away for good.
aiff on February 7, 2011 at 9:11 PM Report this
34
Police on horseback are for corralling masses of people and cutting an intimidating figure to people on foot. Protests, peace marches, moving riff-raff.

C'mon people where are our priorities? We are so in debt we can't afford the horses we have. The nostalgic cop on horse concept won't pay for itself in tourism. Maybe downtown businesses can rent-a-cop-on-a-horse. There's a disturbing idea.
danelaw on February 7, 2011 at 9:17 PM Report this
35
I'm suspect none of you have been attacked in a peaceful protest by cops on horses, like I was in Toronto this summer. You'd have a different position on cop horses in that case.
notasingelclue on February 8, 2011 at 8:26 AM Report this
36
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzZabo18m…
CATSPAW666 on February 8, 2011 at 9:36 AM Report this
37
Police officers need stress reduction counseling far more than they need horses. I would like to see the money that goes to maintain the horses spent on counseling sessions that promote de-escalation and inclusiveness.

The $170,000.00 wouldn't go far but it is a start.
thatsnotright on February 8, 2011 at 10:21 AM Report this
38
Yeah, but the horses seem to calm down the cops too, @37.
Will in Seattle on February 8, 2011 at 10:53 AM Report this
39
@38, there are only 5 horses. They don't seem to calming very many cops. At $170,000.00 a year to maintain they are a bit expensive as a roving petting zoo. That price does not include the transportation to area parades nor the salaries garnered by their police riders engaging in publicity and outreach. I can live without police horses in the Seafair Parade. As I stated earlier, if the police were actually nice to the public, it would be different, but having 5 nice police and a whole bunch of mean ones doesn't work for me.
thatsnotright on February 8, 2011 at 11:27 AM Report this
40
During the WTO protests, I was shocked at the lack of police presence along the protest route, especially of the mounted variety. I was a kid in NYC and every parade (and protest, I assume - was too young for that) had a non-intrusive, but highly visible mounted police presence.

Though horses can be used for corralling and scaring crowds, they are most effective as elevated, mobile lookouts and deterrents. They can serve to calm everybody down - at least in cities where they're used well. Seattle may need a few lessons on that.
rara avis on February 8, 2011 at 11:38 AM Report this
41
I love a good parade.
six shooter on February 8, 2011 at 12:06 PM Report this
42
This is a fucking stupid thing to spend money on and we should stop. Humanely kill them and feed them to the homeless.
Violet_DaGrinder on February 8, 2011 at 5:53 PM Report this

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