By Lynn Roberson
It’s a nippy evening outside the Buffalo Niagara
Convention Center, and two mounted policemen stand sentinel at the
entrance. Their horses, in shaggy
winter coats, are calm in the crowd.
One, in fact, appears to be dozing. His name is Charger, and he has the look of a seasoned
veteran.
In a flurry of shopping bags and blowing scarves, a
woman approaches Deputy George McGovern and Charger to ask for directions to
Niagara Falls. As Deputy McGovern
and Charger help the confused tourist on her way, Lt. Wayne Wolf and Cowboy
move purposefully up the block to head off a parking dispute.
The Erie County Sheriff’s Mounted Unit–five men, one
woman and at any given time at least ten patrol-ready horses–are on duty,
county-wide, regardless of weather or time of day. Regulars at Ralph Wilson Stadium for home Bills games and
special events, on guard at all major Convention Center happenings,
participants in festivals from Allentown to Martin Luther King Jr. Park, the
unit also escorts visiting VIPs like Bill and Hillary Clinton, assists in
rescue missions and patrols concerts, demonstrations and parades.
In most large cities such as Miami, Boston, Chicago,
Manhattan, officer and horse are fully funded by law enforcement. Accordingly, these units are first to
come under scrutiny the instant budgets need to be cut.
Why?
Because the average annual cost, of boarding, feeding, shoeing and
doctoring a horse starts at $4,000 a year, and that’s in a very inexpensive
city. Even if the horse is
donated, he needs a barn, a truck and a trailer for travel, a saddle, a bridle
and training. For the officer, boots, riding pants and specialized instruction are
vital. All this, plus the officer’s
salary and benefits adds up to considerable expense. There is always more when large animals are involved.
Checking the bills, city officials ask, “Do we really need these pricey horses?” Funding debates put Miami’s mounted
police in a perpetual fight to exist, yet they are the most positive face of
Miami’s troubled police force.
In
Buffalo, the outlook for the Erie County Sheriff’s Mounted Unit is radically
different. Patrol horses belong to the deputy. Each member of the Mounted Unit assumes all related
expense. “It costs $30,000 to
$40,000 just to get started with a horse, a truck, a trailer and a stable,” Lt.
Wolf says. “We raise money for
equipment, like saddles, via our own non-profit corporation.” The Mounted Unit
has been at work since 1942, and all of the deputies intend to keep going. “It’s a tradition of community service
that we are proud to uphold,” Lt. Wolf says.
As
part-time, reserve officers paid an hourly wage, Buffalo’s deputies don’t deny
themselves the pleasure of riding their own horses to work. “We live with our mounts,” Lt. Wolf
says. “I have two; Cowboy and
Jake. Cowboy here is 16, and he’s
seen it all. Deputy McGovern’s
horse, Charger, is over 35-years-old, and he’s raring to get in the trailer to
go to work. Our vet just checked
these two out and said that having a job keeps them in the pink.”
The
Mounted Unit has zero tolerance for kicking and biting. Their horses are usually in their
teens, past all coltish skittishness.
Intensive training accustoms the horses to crowds of screaming people,
belching diesels and blaring horns.
“They might lay their ears back when things get tense, but they mind
their manners,” Lt Wolf says. “Any
acting out, and they go home for good.”
Charger doesn’t look too worried.
When
it’s too much for Cowboy and Charger to pound their beat, their owners
guarantee them a pleasant old age – a warm stall, plenty of oats and affection
until life’s end. For the horses,
a green pasture is a final destination. Their corpses are never sold for “meat
products.” They retire with
dignity, and are buried with honor.
Working
with an equine partner enhances the deputy’s ability to engage the public. “There’s no doubt that a mounted
officer is a serious crime deterrent,” Lt. Wolf says. “We have a great view of the area, and in turn, the horse
makes us highly visible. We can
spot trouble, and trouble can spot us.
But all of us go out of our way to communicate with the public in
positive ways. On a horse, we are
accessible and approachable.
People who are frightened of the police warm up to us because of the
horses. Kids that have never seen
a horse light up.”
Twice
a year, the Erie County Sheriff’s Mounted Unit puts a peak in their public
service career. The appear at “Mounted
for Meals,” at the Broadway Market for Easter and at Southgate Plaza for
Christmas, invites the public to meet the Unit and to donate food to those who
need it most. All groceries and
funds collected go to the Food Bank of Western New York for distribution during
the holidays. The deputies created the event and, as volunteers, work every
aspect of Mounted for Meals.
“This year, the Niagara County Mounted Division is
joining us,” Lt. Wolf says. “Our
ultimate goal is to make Mounted for Meals”a national effort.” He gives Cowboy a solid pat on the neck
for emphasis. Charger tosses his
head and looks wise.
The Erie County Sheriff’s Mounted Unit forges a link
in a chain that has endured for millennia – that of human and horse working in
concert. As of January 2009, the
link is strong here in Buffalo, and the chain seems likely to continue.
Paul
Murphy, director of the Convention Center says that he loves the MounteUnit at
his front door. “Along with the
safety and the help, the welcome they give people is incomparable. They are
Buffalo’s best ambassadors.”