A police-horse history

By Noel Paul

July 18, 2000

1758: London's Bow Street Horse Patrol becomes first recorded mounted police force.

1800-1850: Mounted police units are founded in cities like Dublin, Ireland, and Calcutta, India.

1870: Boston Police Department hires one mounted officer. (It adds 27 mounted officers a year later.)

1871: New York City Police Department creates a mounted police unit.

1873: North West Mounted Rifles are founded in Canada. They will go on to become the renowned Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

1950s: Mounted police become commonplace at Boston's public events and begin patrolling the city's parks and recreation areas.

1970s: Mounted police are successfully used to control crowds and rioting during Boston's school busing crisis.

1980s: After budget cuts, the mounted unit is decreased from 100 to its present total of 16.