By Shannon Crowley | September 13, 2021
The Albany Police Department (APD) rode into the Pine Hills neighborhood with style last weekend as they brought four of their mounted unit horses to Hudson Avenue in an effort to put an end to large and rowdy gatherings.
After touring the residential neighborhood over the weekend of Aug. 27, the police department decided they needed the mounted unit to join the detail the following weekend in order to cut down on the street parties.
These horses are quite literally one-trick ponies, with the mounted unit used primarily to control large crowds. It provides the officers with a good vantage point because they sit so high. The horses give the officers increased elevation, as the average Clydesdale is around 6 feet tall.
Although the large animals did not stop everyone from engaging in parties downtown, the Albany Police Department Public Information Officer, Steve Smith said, “We didn’t have any major issues this weekend. We did have several house parties that our officers addressed. We did issue roughly 25 general city ordinances.”
The APD only brought four of their mounted unit horses out last weekend, and it is unclear how many more the unit has or where these horses are kept. When asked, Smith said they were kept in a barn but provided no further information on the horses.
And if you’re wondering if you’ll be lucky enough to see the horses on Hudson Avenue this weekend, Smith says, “I’m not sure but we will continue to utilize our resources. We continue to issue general city ordinances and write citations for open containers and for loud and unnecessary noise.”