New York Daily Photo Analytics

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Horse Sense

There's been an increase in the use of mounted police in NYC - they can be seen in the parks and neighborhoods throughout the five boroughs. It has been found that each mounted police officer is the equal of ten foot police. 
All the horses ask for in return for their service is hay. On a quiet morning, you can sometimes hear the clip clop of one or more horses, bringing a bit of country to the big city. People who have been mistrustful of police often have a better relationship with mounted police - horses foster a lot of positive feeling and personal relationships are more likely to be established. It is quite common to see people petting the horses with the permission of the officer and approval of the horse. They are very well trained, as you can see here. NYC has been fortunate in that the rate of crime has gone down in recent years to the lowest levels since the early sixties. It is now the safest large city in the USA. The increased use of horses has played a part as has the type of officers that are comfortable working with them. The large drop in crime has certainly given a very different feel to life in the city.

8 comments:

Bob said...

They crtainly command a lot of respect - especially from people who haven't had any experience with them. Nice post.

Andrea said...

great catching up with the pictures...great shot...

Brian Dubé said...

These on the horses seem careful to be friendly to everyone as much as possible. We haven't had too much confrontation with police lately in NYC, the last bad scandal was some years ago, so things are pretty calm on that front at the moment. There are many popular movies and tv shows about cops, such as Law & Order, this long running TV show about the NYPD and the District Attorneys, and we are now used to hearing the warnings about unattended baggage, suspicious behavior, etc., worrying about possible terrorism again, so there has been more intersection lately between the concerns of the cops and the ordinary citizens, so there seems to be a less tension these days. What the future holds of course, we don't know...

Anne said...

Horses also solve pollution problem, so this is not only good for the crime rate but for the atmosphere as well :)

Sam said...

Mounted police are great - kids love them, and they seem to do well against petty crime.
Nice picture of the horse - he looks so calm!

Alex said...

Ah,ah! Rings a bell to me! You’re right, it’s much more friendly to see policemen on horses rather than patrolling in their flashing cars…

Anonymous said...

Sad to say, in Philadelphia, they did away with the mounted police. The city claimed it was too expensive.
Chris

Anonymous said...

I have been looking for sites like this for a long time. Thank you! »