Horse patrols: Is this horse sense?
Coun. Terry Whitehead questions usefulness of police mounted unit
One Hamilton Police Services Board member wants to know if the city is getting enough bang for its buck when it comes to its mounted patrol unit.
Coun. Terry Whitehead, who has been a vocal critic of the unit, pointed to the 21 arrests made by mounted patrol officers in 2016, according to an annual report presented to the police board Friday.
“How much of it is good contact and how much of it is just a public relations piece?” he asked during the meeting.
The mounted patrol unit is one of three branches of the service’s ACTION (Addressing Crime Trends In Our Neighbourhood) team.
The mounted unit has five horses and five officers, including a supervisor, plus two backup officers, Insp. Greg Huss told the board while presenting the 2016 ACTION report.
Staff Sgt. Scott Balinson noted the officers work 10-hour day shifts Tuesday through Friday and nights Thursday through Saturday.
Whitehead questioned the number of hours in a day mounted unit officers are on patrol.
“Over the past year, we’ve seen it increase to about 70 per cent of the time,” said Huss, noting the remaining 30 per cent would be devoted to training and administrative duties.
Chief Eric Girt said the officers are likely only riding the horses for 50 per cent of their day, but they’re available to assist with other calls even if the horses remain in their trailers.
But Whitehead wasn’t convinced by the return on investment, pointing to the cost of the unit compared to the number of arrests made last year. The budget for the unit is $768,590 for 2017. “How does that compare to seven ACTION officers on the street downtown?” he asked.
Girt said it’s not a fair comparison to make because the metrics for all units are not the same. The goal is not always just about arrests, but also about crime prevention and lowering the recidivism rate, he added.
Balinson reiterated that point, noting “nobody ever forgets” after coming across a mounted officer. “It’s about reassuring the community after a significant incident takes place.”
Hamilton’s mounted patrol unit was approved as a three-year pilot project in 2009 before becoming permanent in 2012.
Its main purpose was crime prevention and it was mainly designed to deal with problems in the core needing high police visibility.
The unit was also intended to help manage the entertainment districts, particularly Hess Village, assist search and rescue, conduct park and trail patrol and engage in community relations.
The ACTION unit started the following year in 2010. It has been controversial since its inception, in part for diverting officers who some felt would be more useful on front-line patrol.
Whitehead pointed to this during Friday’s meeting.
“I see divisional officers doing a hell of a job in our community,” he said. “I’m not suggesting ACTION officers aren’t — I’m just saying we’re underutilizing them.”
Wearing bright-yellow jackets, patrolling on bike or by foot, they’re intended to be highly visible and spend considerable time downtown, where they are notably popular among business owners.