Henderson police to implement horse patrol

By Dave Clark

Monday, Sept. 15, 2008 | 2:01 p.m.

The Henderson Police Department is preparing to add a horse patrol to complement its crime-fighting arsenal.

Capt. Robert Wamsley said the addition of three horses, probably in December, will enhance the department’s ability to conduct searches for missing people and to patrol the city’s parks and trails. The horses will also aid police in finding bodies and performing crowd control.

“Horses put you nine to 10 feet high in the air, and give you better access to search for missing children and elderly people,” Wamsley said. In addition, he said, “As the city grows and spreads out, the park systems can’t really be patrolled by cars.”

Wamsley added the department frequently encounters reports of elderly Alzheimer’s patients wandering into the desert. Police also searched for a missing person last week in the Las Vegas Wash.

“We had officers walk up and down the wash for days,” he said. “With horses, you cover more ground. They go a lot farther and harder than a person can.”

Wamsley said the department had discussed the idea for years, but grew serious about the proposal in 2007.

He noted the growth of the city as well as the department made the mounted patrol more feasible.

“We’ve now expanded to the edge of our borders,” he said. “There’s a lot more place to search and places to wander. We’ve got more officers and more of a tax base.”

The horses will also serve a fun role as well. Wamsley predicts they will make frequent appearances at festivals and be a prime draw at National Night Out.

“Kids want to pet them, and when you have them leading a parade, people think it’s wonderful,” Wamsley said. “They’re a public relations attraction, absolutely.”

Six officers have already been selected to be part of the program — three serving as primary officers and three as alternates. The horses will be housed in stables tentatively scheduled to be completed in late November or early December on city-owned land between the animal shelter and bird viewing preserve.

The animals have been purchased from a Montana ranch.

Wamsley noted the officers and horses will require certification, and the training will be continuous. He said officers will typically spend between four and six hours a day on the horses.

Dave Clark can be reached at 990-2677 or [email protected].