The Columbus Police Department will provide mounted police officers for free during Halloween this year if Athens City Council approves a proposed mutual-aid agreement between the two departments.
The Columbus Police Department would provide four horseback officers for this Halloween and other events at no cost in exchange for help from the Athens Police Department's horseback officers during events like the Ohio State-Michigan football game, said Athens Capt. Tom Pyle.
The agreement would stand for three years, according to the document.
Horseback officers are more effective at controlling the crowd because they are quicker, heavier and more visible than officers on foot, Pyle said.
The city will reimburse the officers for their travel expenses, which was at the rate of 45 cents per mile traveled last year, but the horse owners will provide their own feed and the 4-H Club will house the horses for free at Athens County Fair Grounds, said Lt. Randy Gray, who is in charge of the Athens mounted police.
The Athens Police Department expects 37 mounted police officers to patrol areas outside of Court Street this Halloween, Gray said.
APD will pay 20 mounted police officers from departments around the state $150 for Halloween weekend, Pyle said. The police department will pay 30 non-horseback officers to work during Halloween for a combined cost of $7,500.
If the mutual-aid agreement with the Columbus Police Department is approved, 17 mounted police officers will work for free during Halloween: four from Columbus, four mounted officers from Summit County, four from APD and five mounted deputies from sheriff's offices around the state.
Columbus Police Chief James Jackson wanted to have an official agreement in place making Halloween the first event that the agreement would cover, spokeswoman Amanda Ford said.
Athens Police Capt. Pyle said the agreement could extend to events outside Halloween, such as Palmerfest. -
he said.
' Staff writer J.W. Johnson contributed to this report
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Lt. Randy Gray checks on Halloween visitor Chris Heltzel from Cleveland, while Ohio University student Jordan Pierce looks on Oct. 28, 2006.
Possible agreement would exchange services of mounted officers between police departments
