Police seek test 'trot' of horses on Hess

Cops on horseback have not patrolled Hamilton streets in almost 100 years, but Chief Brian Mullan wants to bring back the horse squad.

Mullan said yesterday he plans to create a mounted unit, primarily to deal with crowds in Hess Village and at special events where horses give police advantages in both crowd control and crowd-pleasing public relations. He has asked Toronto police to lend him a few of their 30-odd police horses and riders for a trial run in Hess Village on a Friday and Saturday night in September, yet to be determined.

If it's successful, Mullan will ask the police board for funds to create a permanent mounted unit.

Toronto and Niagara police have mounted units and it is clear they get a great deal of utility out of them, he said yesterday. "In our city, we always have substantial crowds on Hess Street, and it's a great area to test that type of utility."

Police horses will naturally do everything they can to not step on someone, he said, but people will also naturally try to get out of the way of an approaching horse.

Officers become significantly more visible in a crowd, and can see farther, making it easier to spot someone in medical distress or causing a disturbance.

People also tend to find police on horseback more approachable, he said. The horses are great for public relations for both police and city tourism.