We have long advocated for mounted patrols in the Parkway, particularly in the dangerous downtown/midtown adjacent area, and it appears they are a good investment, financial as well as in public safety.
Bridgeport police horsing around
ASHLEY WINCHESTER awinchester@ctpost.com
Bridgeport Police Officer Edgar Perez and his partner are behind bars. Perez, the stocky, jovial rookie of his unit, calls his partner a nightmare to work with - and she is. Six feet tall, black and muscular, the officer sports a thick mohawk on her well-coiffed head, which she has a habit of tossing haphazardly when bored.
But despite her overbearing appearance, this Nightmare is more approachable than most officers. She's one of six horses in the Bridgeport mounted police unit, and earns her keep through public relations, patrol and crowd control.
"They're like the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders," says Sgt. John Cueto, the unit's supervising officer. "They know how to promote the police. Honestly, they're out putting their best foot forward."
It may seem like a relic of the past, but the Bridgeport mounted police unit is the largest and, arguably, the most active of two in the state. Mounted police officers work in pairs and are stationed throughout the city, in all weather, year-round.
In the summer, the officers focus on "quality of life" problems at Seaside Park, issuing traffic tickets or enforcing open container laws, Cueto says. After Labor Day, the unit patrols city streets, much as an officer in a squad car does.
Large-scale events at Seaside Park, like last summer's Gathering of the Vibes, which can draw up to 30,000 people, or basketball tournaments at the Arena at Harbor Yard, are when the horses really pull their weight, Cueto says. At the Vibes last year, the unit assisted in finding missing children on a daily basis. "We're able to do a large field search" and can see above the masses, Cueto says. "It just makes sense. It's better to see one cop on a horse than 20 in riot gear."
Perez agrees.
"You're going to be able to move a crowd of people a lot quicker with these huge horses than you would with 50 officers," he says. "It's a good show of force. It's non-confrontational, also, which is good. Look at a lot of the bigger towns, the bigger cities - New York City, New Orleans. It's a lot of departments going to the mounted unit, utilizing the horses, because they can replace 50 officers."
New York City's mounted police unit, the oldest in the country, founded in 1871, boasts more than 100 horses. Bridgeport's division dates to at least 1918, but the present six-horse unit has an off-and-on history, according to the will of the government and the availability of funds.
… It costs about $50,000 a year in veterinary and food bills to support the six horses, Cueto says. A horse can cost $5,000 to $8,000 to purchase, and can be on active duty for 10 or more years, he says.
In contrast, a new police cruiser costs about $30,000. This year, the city budgeted $450,000 for gas for the fleet of about 150 vehicles, says Lt. James Viadero, Bridgeport Police spokesman.
