Neigh-sayers, beware: Police horses gearing up to patrol World Cup events
These officers can outrun you, outmaneuver you through dense downtown traffic and scout out any funny business in large crowds.
They tower over nearly everyone who will attend FIFA World Cup events around Atlanta and are responsible for crowd control and giving their two-legged companions a better lay of the land come June.
Horses from the Atlanta Police Department and Cobb County Sheriff’s Office will be the “mane” line of security every day there is a World Cup event, working alongside officers on the ground. Mounted patrol units from the Savannah and Memphis, Tennessee, police departments will also be deployed to the area for certain games.
Lt. Greg Lyon of the Atlanta police said Thursday while standing next to Drifter, his 16-year-old Tennessee Walker, that he is optimistic the mounted patrol units won’t have to “stirrup” any trouble with unruly crowds and will instead focus on spotting medical emergencies and helping locals and visitors navigate the city.
“When Drifter and I are in a crowd of people, or we’re going into a really congested area (such as) parking lots, we can see over the cars. We can see over everybody’s head. It gives us a great vantage point to identify problems and respond to them,” Lyon said.
The horses and riders will primarily patrol around Centennial Olympic Park, the Georgia World Congress Center and Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Lyon said agencies are prepared to branch out if needed, ensuring a stable presence throughout the city.
During a recent panel to discuss plans for the World Cup, officials with the Atlanta World Cup Host Committee said the city is built to host massive crowds and is ready for the influx of fans.
While games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium are the main draw, Centennial Olympic Park will be transformed into the city’s official FIFA Fan Festival from June 12 to July 15. At the park, anyone who wasn’t able to snag a match ticket will be able to watch games for free on a 40-foot screen.
Surrounding neighborhoods will also hold festivals and watch parties throughout the World Cup, like Decatur WatchFest, which will feature a headliner performance from Big Boi.
Atlanta police have 12 horses, with a new addition possible before the start of the games. On any given day, Lyons said between 12 to 15 horses could be seen patrolling World Cup gatherings. When Memphis and Savannah join, up to 27 horses could be out and about.
For the horses’ maximum comfort, they wear thick rubber shoes, similar to the classic steel or aluminum horseshoe, for better traction and shock absorption as they walk and trot on paved roads.
The Georgia summer heat can also be brutal and that’s when the mounted patrol units will be working most. Lyon said he is in the midst of building what he called a “weather plan” for the agencies.
He said horses and riders will swap shifts so that not all animals are patrolling at once. Patrols will also be shorter, breaks will be longer, hay and water will be available at staging areas, a stock of electrolyte syringes will be on standby and a vet will be on call, Lyon stated.
“All four agencies, we’re all from the South, and we’re all very accustomed to working in the heat and how to mitigate that for our horses,” Lyon said.
World Cup preparations for Atlanta’s unit began around the time police moved to the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center in DeKalb County, he said. Now, every Thursday, Lyon said his team and Cobb sheriff’s office come together to train, alternating where they meet.
This Thursday, seven Atlanta and three Cobb officers rode double-file, taking up a lane of traffic on several downtown Atlanta streets. From Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard, the riders turned right onto Marietta Street, passing Centennial Olympic Park, then south on Centennial Olympic Park Drive past State Farm Arena and Mercedes-Benz Stadium and onward.
Next Thursday, the units will train at Violet F. Stout Park in Powder Springs, where the Cobb sheriff’s office houses its seven draft horses. There they will work on crowd control, desensitization and formation riding. Lyon said they use speakers, sirens, inflatable tube men and kazoos, set off fireworks, shoot blanks from the saddle and wave flags to make sure the horses don’t bolt at the spur of the moment.
Metro Atlanta’s law enforcement agencies are implementing new training as the World Cup nears. Come Monday, the public safety training center will host public disorder training, where officials will be able to practice crowd control with a group of people.
“When you think World Cup and you think crowds, people, especially tourists and visitors, they see us as this big, bold, beautiful presence. And really our main goal is to simply be ambassadors of the city and be able to help people get them where they need to go,” Lyon said.
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