Mounted Unit Startup Announced at Penn

Nov 9 2010

[ The following article was written by Maureen Rush, Vice President for Public Safety at the University of Pennsylania and Vice President of the Philadlephia Police Foundation, and was originally posted on her blog athttp://pennpublicsafety.blogspot.com/ ]

On Thursday, November 4, 2010 Penn’s Veterinary School hosted a historic event for the City of Philadelphia. Mayor Michael Nutter and Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey announced at a press conference the startup of the Philadelphia Police Mounted Patrol. With the Support of the Philadelphia Police Foundation (www.phillypolicefoundation.org) the Police Department expects to have the Mounted Patrol on the streets of Philadelphia by the summer of 2011.

Why Mounted Patrol? When I was a rookie officer in the Philadelphia Police Department assigned to the 25th district in North Philadelphia I was involved in a major civil disturbance. People were throwing bottles and bricks at the police. Suddenly, about 20 Mounted Patrol units galloped down the street like the Calvary. Within minutes the crowd was successfully dispersed with minimal arrests or injuries. I never forgot that night and never stopped thinking about the effectiveness of the mounted patrol style of policing. I have many more pleasant memories of the mounted patrol.

For years the Mounted Patrol worked alongside the Penn Police Department at the Penn Relays. From a Community Policing strategy point of view….there is no better style of policing. As Lieutenant Dan McCann, the Commanding Officer of the new Mounted Patrol Unit, stated at the press conference “no one ever came up to me and asked to pet my police car.” So true.

How can you help? You can help by donating via the Philadelphia Police Foundation website. For more information on the Mounted Patrol, including the history of the unit visit CLICK HERE

CLICK HERE TO VIEW PHOTOS!

Below is also a collection of articles written about this exciting announcement:

KYW
http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2010/11/04/philly-police-trying-to-revive-mounted-unit/

Channel 6 abc
[ Video ] http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=7764726

Fox 29 news
http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpp/news/local_news/philly-cops-want-horse-patrol-back

Inquierer
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/nj/20101105_Phila__soliciting_money_to_restore_mounted_police.html

PennCurrent
http://www.upenn.edu/pennnews/current/latestnews/110410-6.html

Lebanon Daily News
http://www.ldnews.com/news/ci_16521836

Philadelphia Examiner
http://www.examiner.com/in-pictures-in-philadelphia/mounted-patrol-returns-to-philadelphia-police

Daily News
http://www.philly.com/dailynews/local/20101104_Yea_to_neigh__Fund_drive_begins_to_restore_Philadelphia_s_police-horse_unit.html

The Times Leader
http://www.timesleader.com/news/ap?articleID=5720676

CBS 21
http://www.whptv.com/news/state/story/Philly-police-set-to-try-to-revive-mounted-unit/UJ4DazVSL0qANcZUJ1QKkw.cspx