Rockland County's mounted unit was created by the Sheriff's office in 1962. Originally an all-volunteer unit, it assisted with crowd control for special events, search and rescue operations, as well as functioning as a public relations arm for the department. As the years passed, it evolved to become a fully integrated police unit as part of the County Sheriff's office, where it remains an essenti
al component for today's public safety. As Sheriff Louis Falco III explains, the mounted patrols are a vital part of our community. They work closely with town and village police departments, assisting with crowd control in more densely populated areas as such as Spring Valley, Haverstraw and Nyack on nights and weekends. They are a highly visible presence throughout the county at parades, concerts, street fairs, and even high school football games. Patrols can also been seen regularly at Rockland Community College, since the horses are better able to travel the areas between buildings. And they do this at no charge to the communities they serve. There are seven horses in the mounted unit. All have been donated, with some on patrol for more than ten years. Each horse has been named after an officer killed in the line of duty. They have all undergone sensory training to get them accustomed to noisy situations, and are bonded to the officers who handle them. Care of the horses is steep; each horse costs the Sheriff's office approximately $1,000 a month for boarding and care. Why the need for a mounted unit given today's technology? Sheriff Falco explains: "The horses offer capabilities that an officer on foot or in a vehicle cannot. For example, they enable officers to get a higher vantage point to assess a situation. This is a tremendous advantage in crowd control. They can also traverse rough terrain to assist in locating missing or injured persons in parks and other areas that are inaccessible to vehicles. And because of their size, they can easily clear a path in a crowd should it be necessary to get an ambulance or public safety vehicle through. People respect the size of these animals and respond to them." Please consider making a donation to the Mounted Police Foundation of Rockland County to support this essential unit. In addition to cash donations, the Sheriff's office will gladly work with anyone interested in donating services to offset the care of their horses. Visit www.rocklandgives.org/donationspage.html (scroll down to Mounted Police Foundation of Rockland County) or email [email protected] to help, or to learn more.
