Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, August 24, 1993 TAG: 9308240458
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RON BROWN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The unit, which will begin training in October at a National Capitol Park Police school in Maryland, is expected to start patrolling downtown in December during the Christmas shopping season.
Sources familiar with the selection process say Officers J.D. Loope, E.L. Pendleton and A.J. Wright have been selected as the city's mounties.
Two of the officers will be named to permanent posts, and one will be an alternate. It was unclear which officers will serve in which capacity.
Interviews with nine candidates were conducted this month by a selection panel including Maj. Don Shields, the head of the department's patrol division; Lt. Doug Allen, a shift supervisor; Joe Wright of Downtown Roanoke; and Rick Harman, a horse enthusiast.
Downtown Roanoke has agreed to pay all the costs for the horses, saddles, feed, stables and other necessities for two mounted officers. A tax-exempt foundation will be created to finance the mounted police.
Start-up costs could run as high as $75,000, with annual operating cost projected at $8,000.
Downtown Roanoke and the city have committed to the project for at least three years.
The city will pay the salaries and related expenses for the mounted officers.
The horses and the officers will be working out of Harman's stable near Memorial Avenue Bridge. He has provided city police with a three-year, rent-free lease on the facility, which will include an office and three stalls.
Harman built the stables about 12 years ago on the property of his company, Harman Ceiling and Partition Co.
The mounties and their steeds will have to travel about a mile each day before they reach their assigned patrol area, primarily the City Market.
Housing the horses will require the city to amend the property's heavy-manufacturing zoning designation.
The officers will handle the grooming of the animals. Downtown Roanoke will hire someone to clean the stables.
Downtown Roanoke this month put out a request for three donated horses - gentle in nature and unruffled by activity. Preferably, the horses would be between 5 and 12 years old.
At least one owner has offered to donate a horse.
The mounted officers will replace two officers who patrol downtown on foot and scooter. The officers will be taught how to make arrests, issue parking and traffic tickets, direct traffic and perform other duties while on their horses.
The horses won't be used if the temperature rises above 92 degrees or drops below 32, when they would be in danger of falling on ice.
by CNB