The United States Park Police Horse Mounted Unit, in conjunction with assisting agencies, gathered at the Edgewater Training Facility in Rock Creek Park on December 3rd to conduct crowd management training in anticipation of the upcoming inauguration.
Participating agencies include the members of the National Park Service, the Metropolitan Police, the Maryland National Capital Park Police (Prince Georgeâs County Division), Prince William County, and Park Police HMP officers from the New York Field Office.
The training began with a systematic warm-up that allows the horses and the riders to get accustomed to the other horses and stretch their muscles. Once they were ready, role players were utilized to simulate the effects of large crowds surrounding the officers on their mounts. They also practiced moving crowds in the event of an emergency. The training was a success, ensuring the officers and their mounts work well together for the inauguration.
Horse mounted officers will be used throughout the National Mall during the inauguration. The officers mounted on horseback will have a commanding view of the crowd as they patrol and their height will allow visitors to easily identify and reach an officer for assistance.
Ruby: 1.8.7, Rails: 1.1.6