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Sunday, October 4, 2009
11:00 AM--8PM

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Facts about the New Castle County Police Mounted Patrol Unit

• The mounted unit was established in 1981 through a grant from the Delaware Housing Authority. In 1981 there were 5 officers and 1 supervisor. The horses were all donated and were assorted breeds with varied backgrounds.
• Presently, there are still 5 officers and 1 supervisor assigned full time to the mounted unit.
• It is the only remaining horse unit in the state of Delaware
• The unit consists of 8 horses (6 clydesdales, 1 percheron, and 1 percheron/thoroughbred cross) and are presently housed at Carousel Park in Pike Creek- Wilmington,De. All horses, with the exception of 1 donated horse, were purchased very young and have been extensively trained in patrol work.
• All of the horses, saddles, equipment, trucks/trailers are paid for and are in excellent condition with no need for replacement for many years. Therefore, the only cost for the mounted unit is for the care and maintenance of the horses.
• The mounted unit is not a parade or special events unit. The majority of the time, the officers and their horses patrol neighborhoods that are experiencing problems with traffic violations, thefts, burglaries, shootings, illegal drug sales, prostitution, and overall quality of life complaints.
• The officers and their horses are one of the most requested by communities and consistently the most productive unit in the police department. In 2008, the unit wrote 2,329 traffic tickets, made 334 criminal arrests, issued 650 traffic warnings, wrote 150 police reports, handled 669 complaints which did not require police reports, and attended 59 community outreach programs, all in neighborhoods, atop horses. The average daily contacts made per mounted officer is about 10-15 contacts a day, as opposed to the average of 2-5 for patrol officers in police cars. This is because the mounted officers are not 911 driven and are completely proactive in their policing style.
• The officers run radar from their horses, address loud radios in cars driving through neighborhoods, stop cars for running stop signs, squealing wheels (speed exhibition), atv and dirt bikes on the roadway and several other unsafe traffic violations.
• The officers also conduct covert operations and make arrests in neighborhoods experiencing illegal drug sales, prostitution, and shootings. The horses can be taken to areas where officers cannot walk and due to their keen sense of smell and hearing, they alert officers when there is activity in an area the officer isn’t aware of.
• The horses are used for terrain searches for missing children, suicidal subjects and even weapons due to their ability to cover large amounts of land in sometimes rough terrain officers on foot can not accomplish.
• Police horses are the most effective crowd control tool there is. One mounted officer can disperse the same amount of people as 10-15 ground officers. And most importantly, it is done peacefully with no injuries to anyone. Shields, batons, and smoke/gas deployment are not needed when the mounted unit is deployed. In fact, most of the time, the mere presence of the unit is a deterrent to any potential crowd control issues. The NCCo MPU has assisted Newark Police Dept., University of Delaware PD, Wilmington PD, Delaware State Police, Seaford PD and Georgetown PD in crowd control situations, as it is the only Mounted Unit in the state of Delaware.
• The unit is the most effective tool to bridge the community and law enforcement together. The horses’ approachability draws the public to the police and conversations are initiated. A trusting relationship is established as a result of this interaction and ultimately crime is deterred through this partnership.

Interesting Facts:

• The mounted unit horses actually eat less than the average sized horse due to their sedate personalities and low metabolisms
• These horses weigh between 1700-2000 pounds
• They all started police work as youngsters (3-7 yrs old) and usually don’t retire until they’re in their late teens, early 20’s
• They graze in pastures when they are not working and eat hay and grain
• They drink 10-20 gallons of water a day
• Our horses have never kicked a civilian and are very calm in nature, but it’s never safe to walk right behind a horse as they can’t see directly behind them
• These horses are protected by Delaware state law and a person can be arrested for assaulting a police horse
• The officers are paired with a horse, which they ride everyday, so they have a very close relationship
• The only time the officers do not take the horses out on patrol is when the weather is unhealthy or unsafe for the horses and officers.
• When the officers do not go out on their horses, they work out of their patrol cars, conducting proactive assignments.
• Volunteers help take care of the mounted horses to ensure the best of care for these cherished service animals
• There are many volunteer opportunities and fundraising campaigns, so please don’t hesitate to ask about helping to save the mounted unit.

Donations: