Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, December 28, 1993 TAG: 9312280156
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By TODD JACKSON and JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITERS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
George Snead, Roanoke's director of public safety, said Monday night two horses that were being used in the program - Dennis and Moe - were found to need additional training. Snead said the horses' problems centered around adapting to an urban environment.
While not discussing specifics, Snead said, "Even the most experienced horse is sometimes skittish. It's the nature of an animal."
Snead said Dennis and Moe made it through a rigorous 11-week training program at a national training school for police horses in Maryland in the fall. Two other horses were deemed unfit for the program during the training, he said.
"This is a constant process of development, and we knew that going in," Snead said. "It's a process of developing a rider and a horse as a team. That takes time."
In the meantime, another horse, which is suitable for police work, has been donated and has already begun training, said Kim Kimbrough, executive director of Downtown Roanoke Inc., which sent three of the original horses to the school.
Despite the training of Dennis and Moe, the school advised they "might not be completely suitable" for police work, Kimbrough said.
He said city police officers agreed with the training school and concluded it would be best not to use them. Kimbrough would not say whether there were any incidents with the horses.
The two horses were never used during an entire police work shift and were only introduced to the city's environment during brief trials, Snead said.
Roanoke will get a horse from Philadelphia's mounted police, which is reducing its size, Kimbrough said. The horse has had five years of experience.
Downtown Roanoke will also buy a horse from a Maryland horse farm that will be suitable for police work, he said.
"We didn't want to endanger anyone," Kimbrough said. "We could have used these two, but we decided not to take any chances."
Snead said plans call for Dennis and Moe to get additional training, after which the horses could be brought back for patrol duty.
Downtown Roanoke and the city plan to continue with the mounted police despite the setback.
"The police officers involved are committed to making this work," Snead said.
As a result, there will be only one mounted officer downtown in the next six weeks.
Kimbrough said the cost of changing horses will be picked up by Downtown Roanoke Inc.
by CNB