Riding with Minneapolis Mounted Patrol

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Riding with Minneapolis Mounted Patrol

Published : Thursday, 23 Jul 2009, 9:15 PM CDT

MINNEAPOLIS - On any given weekend the downtown bar scene is crawling with people looking to quench their thirst for nightlife. It is a collection of both young and old from the city and the suburbs. The common denominator: money to burn and sleep to lose. But when the bars close thousands are sent back into the streets with one clear directive and leading the charge are members of the Minneapolis Mounted Patrol. Sgt. Steve Bantle leads the way. “Horses are a great way to move people. We're up above the crowds; we can see what's going on.” Bantle and five mounted officers took FOX 9 for a one-of-a-kind ride-along to see just how crazy it can get at closing time. “It's somewhat intimidating to people on the ground. They tend to respond real well. It's just a great way to push people on their way,” said Bantle. While it may look like scenes from the Republican National Convention, this is not a special occasion. In fact, it's not even a Friday or Saturday night. It’s 2:00 o'clock on a Monday morning. “A few of the bars downtown, and it is just a couple of them, attract really large crowds on Sunday nights. It tends to be a bit of a younger crowd and typically we have some problems,” said Bantle. His fellow officer, Sgt. Johnny Mericl said, “I don't really know why Sunday nights are the busiest, but for us it's usually a quiet night until bar close and then it gets to be pretty chaotic.” On Sunday nights thousands line up around the block to get into the cities 18 plus dance clubs. Early in the night the velvet rope creates an air of exclusivity and carefully controls the flow of patrons. But when the stanchions are picked up at bar close the flood gates open up. The patrol sits patiently as the crowd works its way along Hennepin Avenue. When the group begins to mill around the officers start what they are brought here to do. “The size of the horse has a lot to do with it. If you go in on foot and try to challenge a group of people, you're more likely to meet resistance. When you show up with a horse people tend to give the horse the space it needs to get the job done.” Mercil said. But some revelers see this as a good time to be young, drunk and stupid. “Throw a little alcohol into the mix and that creates some interesting behavior with people.” Mercil said. At one point a fight breaks out in a parking lot across from the library. When things get dicey, the cavalry is called in to help sort it out. Working to assist the officers on the ground, the cops are on horseback help coral the suspects. “It's interesting. You'll be sitting on a corner and you'll see a fight a lot quicker from your vantage point than guys on the ground can. You can see for an extra half a block on horseback.” Mercil said. This melee will produce enough paperwork to last in the early morning. But for mounted officers their day starts far from the rough and tumble night life of the warehouse district. At a quiet farm about 20 miles west of Minneapolis, Mercil manages a stable of about a dozen horses. Most of the horses are donated to the department. Besides being healthy, attitude is the most important quality they look for. The animals are screened for their temperament; the patrol is looking for calm animals that aren't easily startled. And unlike a squad car, with a horse you can't just hang up the keys at the end of a shift. The animals require regular training and near constant grooming. On the job the horses must eat regularly, breaking for lunch at midnight. “It's good. You come out here and it's very relaxing. Working with the horses is very relaxing. I think people get a lot of personal gratification doing that. I know I do.” Mercil said. For most of the 20 officers who make up the mounted patrol they are cops first and riders second... but life at the farm offers a welcome break from life on the streets where you don’t know what the next call will bring. “A lot of times when people mill about problems occur. We've had shootings, we've had stabbings, large scale fights, small scale fights, all kinds of things happen.” Outside Karma members of the Rough Riders motorcycle club clash with a motorist suspected of threatening someone with a gun. It is mounted officers who stop the car. The street is closed as police search the vehicle locating a loaded semi-automatic handgun gun with the serial numbers filed off. These working horses are 1,500 pounds of intimidation and no matter how much someone has had to drink when they see a horse approach most get out the way. There are also the rare few that see it as the opportunity to challenge authority. For them it usually does not end well. Sgt. Bantle said, “Every once in a while we'll have somebody try to assault our horses.” So far this year there have been 14 people cited for assaulting a police horse. “It varies from people trying to jump on horses back to punching the horse in the face to slapping the horse on the rear, face or neck.” Bantle said. But the horses are tough with hearts of gold that perform their job for just a little grain and some time in the pasture. For the officers and their mounts it was another long night. Unlike cowboys who ride into the sunset it is the morning dawn that signals the end of their day. As you saw, Sunday nights with the 18 plus crowd can be very chaotic. Business owners and city officials are now discussing ways to better control the situation.