Worcester Police's first Mounted Patrol Unit since the 1940s is ready to ride again

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Scott J. Croteau | scroteau@masslive.com By Scott J. Croteau | scroteau@masslive.com
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on February 21, 2017 at 2:54 PM, updated February 21, 2017 at 3:14 PM

Horses haven't patrolled the streets of Worcester since the 1940s, but beginning this summer people will once again see a Mounted Patrol Unit.

A group of Worcester police officers underwent several weeks of training at the Massachusetts State Police Mounted Unit in Acton and learned basic patrol, equine first aid and equine nutrition.

Six Worcester police officers, Mike Dowd, Paul Keyes, Dave Rojas, Mike DiVirgilio, Liz Rooney and Emily Nugent along with Lt. Joseph Ashe, who will run the unit with Captain Roger Steele, all graduated Tuesday.

"This summer you can plan on seeing these officers deployed through the city to assist with neighborhood patrols and participating in community events," Police Chief Steven M. Sargent said.

The group used State Police horses to demonstrate some of the crowd control and formation techniques they learned during the training.

"It's amazing to see a group of Worcester Police Mounted Patrol officers riding so well," he said.

Some officers couldn't even get the horse to move in the beginning, he said.

State Police Sgt. Jack Linquata of the Massachusetts State Police Mounted Unit said the officers will undergo more training after four horses are selected.

The sergeant said the officers will learn how to desensitize their horses to the environment and continue training on how to effectively use the horses during community events and for crowd control.

The officers also became ambassadors for the Worcester Police Department given the fact that horses draw interest from the public, Linquata said.
Worcester Police's Mounted Patrol Unit

"A modern police officer and his horse are loved by every young child and parent they encounter," he said. "I've never seen a group of kids surround a motorcycle police officer and ask the name of his motorcycle or if they can pat the motorcycle. Cherish those moments."

The love for the horses was evident by watching the officers interact with the State Police horses used during training. As Rojas trotted out his horse, he blew a kiss over at the large animal.

His training horse, Magnum, playfully nudged Ashe as he prepared the animal for the demonstration.

City Manager Edward Augustus Jr. said four donors stepped up and together donated $100,000 to pay for four horses. Sargent said the department has picked three horses already.

The four donors are: The Hanover Insurance Group, The New England Patriots Charitable Foundation founded by Patriots owner Robert Kraft, UniBank and an anonymous donor.

Steele discussed the idea of having a Mounted Patrol Unit with Ashe over the summer and asked the lieutenant to be the commander.

While Augustus said the cost for the unit would be between $300,000 to $400,000 to establish, Sargent believes the cost has been reduced significantly because the city received donations in equipment and other items.

Worcester County Sheriff Lewis Evangelidis is allowing Worcester Police to use the stables and barn at the Worcester County House of Correction to house and feed the horses. The Worcester County House of Correction once had a mounted unit.

The use of the jail facilities is coming at no cost to the city, Augustus said. The stables and barn will be updated through donations and inmate labor.

"We know what a huge benefit this is in terms of that community policing and drawing kids and young people to our officers to have those kinds of conversations and those bridges with the community," the city manager said.

City officials thanked the State Police, Evangelidis and the donors for the work to get the Mounted Police Unit going.

Sargent believes the officers will work as a deterrent in certain situations and useful in surveying large crowds.