Earlier today, the Knoxville Police Department (KPD) conducted a certification ceremony for its latest law enforcement asset – a newly formed mounted patrol unit. In a straightforward affair outside the City County Building in Downtown Knoxville, the KPD celebrated the culmination of rigorous training for both the officers and their equine partners. According to a Facebook post from the Knoxville Police Department, three officers – Anjali Fahnestock, Jason Gardner, and Michael Spence – received their mounted patrol certification, along with their horses Phyl and Waggoner.
Having endured about three months of intensive training, the officers are set to take to the streets, with their badges shining new, starting Sunday, May 4. The mounted patrol unit, assigned to the KPD’s Central District, will commence its duties, patrolling the downtown and Old City areas. In addition to regular patrols, the pair of officers and their four-legged comrades are expected to be a presence at special events throughout the city.
The use of mounted patrol units in urban settings is a practice rooted in a blend of tradition and utility, offering both a unique vantage point for officers to observe their surroundings and a means of crowd control, capable of navigating spaces where vehicles cannot easily traverse. The presence of police horses also tends to be a public relations boon, often seen as a friendly bridge between law enforcement and community members.
The ceremony, which was a concise affair, also served to bestow badges upon the horses, Phyl and Waggoner, an act symbolizing their official induction into the force. Standing with their human counterparts, Captain Ryan Morrow, Officer Jason Gardner astride Phyl, Officer Michael Spence riding Waggoner, and Officer Anjali Fahnestock were photographed to commemorate the occasion, a collective ready to serve as mentioned on the KPD's Facebook page. It is initiatives such as these that reflect the ever-evolving landscape of urban policing, adapting to the needs of the community while upholding traditions that resonate with both officers and civilians alike.
