by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
Something you always see Downtown when there’s an event that attracts a large number of people is police officers riding horses. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Mounted Unit is an integral part of public safety but its mission goes far beyond crowd control in the urban core.
In addition to managing the flow of large groups of people, the unit also is trained for search and rescue as well as all the other aspects of police work.
“We’re an integral part of the field force and we’re highly mobile,” said Lt. Brett Sharp, who commands the Mounted Unit which also includes the K-9 officers. Being astride a horse creates a couple of advantages, he added. It not only improves the officer’s ability to survey the area since his or her eyes are several feet above the ground, it also makes the law enforcement presence much more apparent. It’s hard to miss a horse in a crowd of people.
The unit is regularly deployed into neighborhoods for visibility and community relations.
“People love to see the horses. They’ll come out of their houses and take pictures. It’s also a great way to engage them in conversations,” said Sharp.
The Mounted Unit also serves another important community relations service for JSO. Sharp said every week the officers and their mounts visit schools, church groups and civic organizations acting as ambassadors for JSO.
The unit is based in a facility at the end of Duval Street within sight of the Downtown skyline. That’s where the horses are stabled during the week. They are transported in trailers once a week to the Northside where the JSO maintains a pasture near the prison farm.
“They get the weekends off unless we have an event. Our horses live a pretty good life,” said Sharp.
The requirements to be a member of the Mounted Unit aren’t any different from any other sworn officer. Sharp said candidates go through the same battery of tests and interviews but “Experience with horses is a plus.”
One of Jacksonville’s “urban legends” is actually true. It started after Super Bowl XXXIX and it’s the a fellow who had obviously seen the movie “Blazing Saddles” and decided he wanted to try to knock a police horse unconscious with his fist. While the incident occurred before Sharp joined the Mounted Unit, he’s heard the story and commented, “It probably didn’t hurt the horse. They have pretty hard heads.”
He also made it clear that if anyone were to get the same idea they will be arrested because it’s a felony to assault a police service animal.
If you’re going to the game . . .
JSO will be deployed in full force for tomorrow’s Konica Minolta Gator Bowl in terms of manpower and horsepower. Controlling vehicular and pedestrian traffic is a big part of the mission but the magnitude of this year’s game will add another element to the fan experience. Sgt. Leonard Propper of the Special Events Division offered some advice.
“We’re expecting 85,000 people Downtown and there will be more than 7 million TV viewers. On events like that counterfeit tickets have historically been an issue,” he said.
Propper advises that fans refrain from purchasing tickets from anyone on the street.
“The counterfeits are pretty good, but if your ticket is counterfeit you will be denied access to the stadium,” said Propper. Even if you can give police an accurate description of the person who sold a bogus ticket, apprehension is virtually impossible due to the number of people who will be in the area.
He also said fans are advised to plan to arrive at the Sports Complex by 9 a.m. General parking is virtually sold out. All streets around the stadium will be prioritized for pedestrians as soon as the gates open, but it will take quite a while to get everyone into their seat.
“Don’t park your car at 11 a.m. and expect to see the kickoff,” said Propper.
The Mounted Unit is a common sight Downtown even when there’s not an event.
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