Heavy police presence for Mardi Gras

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Officers with the Austin Police Department arrived by the bus load early Tuesday evening to keep an eye on the large Mardi Gras crowd on Sixth Street, but the mounted patrol officers are arguably offering the most protection.

"We're very visible to the crowd. We also have the advantage of being high. We can see what's going
on in the crowd where as an officer on the ground can not," said Sgt. Anthony French, Supervisor for APD's Mounted Patrol.

"People naturally respect a horse and they will usually move out of the way for a horse. They will respect his space a little better so we're able to get compliance without actually becoming physical," he said.

On a typical weekend night, four mounted officers roam Sixth Street, but during large crowds like the one hitting Sixth Street for Mardi Gras, nine officers mounted on horses keep guard.

"We are probably one of the more approachable officers down there. We don't mind talking to people about our horses. The only thing we ask is, ask first before you come up and touch our horse because you don't know what we're doing," Sgt. French said.

When they're not working, 15 specially trained horses graze about eight acres near Parmer and SH 130. It's also a place where those horses are trained.

"We're looking for a calm, confident horse," Sgt. French said. "We reject 7 out of every 10."

"The mounted patrol has actually been in existence for over 20 years out here," he said.

At the end of the night, the Mounted Patrol also help clear the streets.

"When the bars close and everything is over with, we use them in the night to kind of get people to comply with moving on the sidewalks so we can open the street back up to traffic," he said.

And for those police officers on APD's Mounted Patrol, many never want to leave that unit.

"We love what we do. It's a lot of extra work getting the horses trained, getting them ready and everything.
Most of us wouldn't trade it for anything," he said.

Since those horses are treated just like an officer, anyone who strikes one of the animals can be slapped with a misdemeanor or even felony charge, and face not only a ticket, but possible jail time.