On GMA, Dannielle Garcia spoke with the Lafayette Police about the department’s mounted patrol unit. The police stables are located on Moss Street and are currently under renovation.
The Lafayette Police Department says that horses are used in weekend details for crowd control purposes and during the holiday time to help in crime prevention at the mall.
The department also says that the horses are a great asset to the force due to their height and size. One mounted officer and his horse, according to Sgt. Jason Ardoin, is equivalent to 20 officers patrolling on foot. The height advantage of the horse and it’s size make them effective for crowd control for large events.
The horses also act as community ambassadors by attending events at local schools for education on the police department’s job and how the horses help them to better patrol the city and keep resident’s safe.
Below, the department shared with GMA the drills that the horses and their officers go through to be ready to head out on patrol.