WORCESTER—The Worcester Police Department’s mounted unit is riding off into the sunset.
The five-horse unit will be disbanded around Jan. 1, Interim Police Chief Paul B. Saucier said. The decision was not an easy one to make, he said, but the issue came down to setting priorities amid staffing shortages.
Cutting the mounted unit will save about $160,000 in costs, he said. That money will be used toward training officers, both at the start of their careers and ongoing. Keeping officers well-trained as police approaches and tactics change is “the most important thing you can do.’’ Well-trained officers then keep the skills of their colleagues sharp as well, he said.
The department has a staffing shortage of about 60 positions, Saucier said. This forced the chief to review the value of every position. His main goal, he said, is getting to the “core’’ responsibility of responding to calls and helping customers at the station.
The mounted unit did not fit into those categories, he said. The unit performed a largely “ceremonial’’ role, he said, including being part of funeral services and visiting schools and other community events.
Because of the nature of community events, they were often deployed on weekends, which Saucier said added to financial and logistical challenges.
Unlike some departments, Worcester’s horses were not used on general patrol or for maintaining order. “We’ve never used a mounted unit for crowd controls.’’
The horses were undoubtedly popular at their public visits, he said. “They’re a great division, they’re fabulous for community policing. They’re going to be missed.’’
But he described the decision as “the best for the department, the city and the taxpayer,’’ he said. “I get paid to make difficult decisions.’’
The unit began its work in Worcester in June 2017. They were housed at the Worcester County House of Correction stables, thanks to the support of Sheriff Lewis Evangelidis. Without his willingness to house Worcester’s horses, the chief said, “this never would have gotten off the ground.’’
The department’s five horses include three Clydesdale crosses, a Fresian/Percheon and a crème draft horse. They will be headed to new positions in the police departments of Providence, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Columbus, Ohio.
All of their current assignments will be completed before they leave the department, the chief said.
The horses left their hoofprints on the city, Lt. Sean Murtha said. “They’ve made hundreds of appearances,’’ he said. “They’ve been well-received.”
Sandy Quadros Bowles is a journalist with more than 40 years of experience in print and online journalism. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, reading and interacting with any and all animals that cross her path. She can be reached at sqbfreelance@gmail.com
