Officers
Manuel Lorenzo (left)  and Carmello
Oquendo (right) were patrolling Chestnut Hill along Highland Avenue astride
their mounts.  Lorenzo was riding
Ruben, a black coated Dutch warmblood and former dressage horse and Oquendo was
riding Ranger, a rescued Belgian draft 
who had been pulling farm carriages. The policemen are two of the 12
officers riding horses from a stable of 15. They patrol throughout the City,
says Oquendo,  and could be in
Chestnut Hill one day and in  Old
City, the next. Although there were a couple hundred in the unit in the 1950s
and 60s, the hope is for the unit, re-introduced in 2010, to build back up to a
more recent level of 30 riders. Although the officers can perform all regular
police functions, their main purpose is deterrence and the officers equate a
mounted duo’s effectiveness to that of 20 officers walking a beat.  The horses are trained to deal with
different conditions, disturbances and people.  Ruben and Ranger were receptive to pats on the neck and the
officers say they are good for community relations – the public loves them. The
Philadelphia Police Foundation website accepts donations at http://www.phillypolicefoundation.org/projects/mountedunit/ to rebuild
the mounted patrol. Watch short video here.