Happy trails for Westchester's new mounted cops

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Happy trails for Westchester's new mounted cops

By Richard Liebson

The Journal News

(Original Publication: March 15, 2007)

SOMERS - Westchester County's newest cops are tall, dark and handsome, wear steel shoes and carry their partners on their backs.

Hudson, Mohawk, Ranger and Zeus - the horse half of the county's new mounted unit - were introduced at Muscoot Farm yesterday as their riders, Officers Sean Lonergan, Keith McCartney, Angela Caporale and Fabian Yearwood, put them through their paces in front of County Executive Andrew Spano and Public Safety Commissioner Thomas Belfiore.

"They're ready to go," Belfiore said after the unit demonstrated different formations used to help control crowds or escort people and vehicles. "Look for them to be deployed at various events throughout the county in the upcoming months."

While it won't be galloping along the parkways ticketing speeders, Spano said, the mounted unit will patrol county parks and trailways, the Grasslands Reservation and Westchester County Airport. The unit also will help with crowd control and security at Playland and the Westchester County Center and be available to local police.

"Officers on horseback have a lot of flexibility and in many situation have the edge when it comes to preventing or responding to suspicious activity," Spano said.

The county executive said mounted police "can easily get to areas that patrol cars can't reach."

"Their high vantage point makes them easy to spot, especially in a crowd, and they have a commanding presence that makes for a good crime deterrent," he said. "It also goes without saying that they can respond faster than officers on foot."

Belfiore said the unit was formed in part because the department has received requests for mounted police to help out with crowd control at antiwar demonstrations in some municipalities. Until now, the White Plains Police Department had the only mounted unit in Westchester.

The four quarter horses are 6 to 12 years old and were purchased for $9,000 each from the Indian Head Ranch, a Long Island farm. Belfiore said the department would spend about $36,500 a year to feed, board and train them at Muscoot. Much of the startup costs were covered by a $50,000 grant obtained by then-state Sen. Nicholas Spano. He said the unit would be used year-round.

Horses and riders spent the past four months being trained by the Nassau County Police Department, which has had a mounted unit for 29 years. The Nassau officers who conducted the training were thanked and presented with plaques and certificates yesterday.

"It's a lot different," said Yearwood, a nine-year police veteran whose spent most of his career behind the wheel of a patrol car and had never ridden a horse until now. "You pretty much have control when you're driving a vehicle, but horses definitely have their moments. They can get really stubborn on you. They have their own personalities and moods."

Yearwood said learning to ride was a challenge.

"I've always been fascinated with the size of horses, and I've always been an animal lover," he said, "so I jumped at the chance to do this. I've really enjoyed it so far."

Zeus, his new partner, "likes to eat a lot," Yearwood said. "As long as I have a carrot or something for him, we get along fine."

Caporale is the only one of the four with previous riding experience, having owned a quarter horse before giving it up after her three children were born.

"When I heard about this, I was very excited and I applied right away," she said, patting Mohawk's face as she spoke. "I think it's a great opportunity for me and for the county. The mounted unit will be at a lot of events. It's a great public relations tool because people love horses. I'm really looking forward to it."

White Plains cops say bye to horse

WHITE PLAINS — While Westchester County celebrated its new mounted police unit yesterday, police in White Plains mourned the loss of Buck, one of the department’s four horses, who was euthanized Saturday after apparently being kicked by one of his stablemates.

“At first we thought his leg was just badly bruised, but the vet looked at it and determined that it was broken,” said Daniel Jackson, deputy public safety commissioner. “He had to be put down.”

Jackson said the horse, who was donated to the city Police Department about two years ago, was normally ridden by Officer Jeff Park.

“We think one of the other horses kicked him while they were in the stable,” Jackson said. “The members of our mounted unit are extremely upset about it. They take care of the horses every day, and they grow very close to them. There’s a certain relationship that develops between rider and horse.”

White Plains has had a mounted unit since 1979, housing the horses, which are donated to the city, in a stable behind the Ebersole Ice Rink in Delfino Park. Jackson said the department was already looking for a replacement for Buck.

— Richard Liebson