The Charge of the Light Brigade
So, according to the article these ponies and their associated costs are to be paid for by the cops themselves. Their horsing around to take place in addition to their regular duties. This makes one feel less aggrieved about the maintenance cost, but I have to wonder if this implies additional pay since the union would not like their boys working for free. Perhaps this is considered to have PR value.
Believe it or not, Fullerton now has an equestrian cop unit.
What’s that you say? Why? Why the Hell on Earth?
I don’t know why, but I know it’s true because Orange County Register thief/scribe Lou Ponsi says so. You may remember Lou from his role as apologist for the FPD after six of their gang murdered Kelly Thomas in July, 2011. Before that he gained local fame by stealing a story from FFFF and pretending it was his.
Why, during the influx of an immense ocean of red ink Fullerton has assembled a horse troop is beyond me. Horses need to be fed, sheltered and given adequate veterinary care (one hopes), and the use of them on Fullerton trails is completely unnecessary. Five cops on ponies is five less than could be patrolling Fullerton’s streets. (See addendum, above)
Will these bold equestrians be patrolling the Trail to Nowhere? Of course not.
Maybe they’re there for riot control, since a 900 lbs. horse is a substantial deterrent to all those rioters Fullerton deals with on a regular basis.
Whatever the the pretext for this nonsense, one wonders if this deployment was actually approved by our City Council. It hardly matters, does it?
I love the cowboy hats. A true sign that the spirit of the Old West, despite Doc Heehaw’s plea for “New West” behavior, is alive and well.
I checked to see if it was April 1st. It isn’t.
My God, the place is run by idiots.
If you ever needed evidence that we’re governed by fools, you’re looking at it.
Fullerton being Fullerton.
Christ Almighty, Lou Ponsi is still around?
I wonder if the City Council evens read their own budget.
What is a budget?
“Each officer owns and cares for their horse at their own expense, which includes food, boarding, veterinary care and farrier service (putting on horseshoes). And, their duties in the mounted unit are in addition to their regular assignments.”
Are they paid for those “additional” duties (aka “overtime”)?
Quoted the register. I assume they are paid for their work time. The point is the horses are the officers’ responsibility, and that is what some of the whining here is about.
And it’s funny because the register article seems to be the source, so no excuse for assuming otherwise.
This isn’t a scam or some novel thing if you read the article.
If FPD was using equestrian units to effectively patrol trails where needed, I actually wouldn’t mind if the department paid for the horses, etc., but I do question the wisdom of paying officers overtime to sit on a horse and intimidate people.
I first saw them together on the west side of Harbor Blvd. downtown during the July 4 celebration, along with half a dozen uniformed Fullerton Police standing together on the other side of the street. In total, nearly a dozen officers in that one place while illegal fireworks were being launched all over the city.
Fullerton cops have the City by the balls.
The City of Fullerton has no balls to be had by.
Cops and horses play
With money that is not theirs
Time and funds wasted
A wind lifts upward
Cops and horses play cowboy
Money flies away
When pigs ride horses
Fullerton suffers safety
Green sand through fingers
Access to all locations on our extensive dirt trail network would be an obvious use. But of course you discounted it out of hand with no explanation. Emergencies? Crime? Illegal camping? Nah, impossible.
You don’t have to feed a quad, idiot.
Uh huh. Lots of differences between quads and horses. Look at you, almost thinking.
And look at you. Dumber than a post. I sometimes wonder how badly the public school system has failed. Then I read your comments and I know how badly.
Hey, don’t forget the new Trail to Nowhere. That’ll require all five of those roughriders.
Yeah, having a fat cop on a horse is critical in case of an emergency. If you lived in 1885.
The only illegal camping is taking place on the Trail to Nowhere.
That’s not part of the trail system yet. Logic doesn’t work out without accurate facts. Garbage in, garbage out.
And I’ll clue you in on something, homeless people camp most everywhere that is accessible and out of the way. Certainly many parts of the trails qualify. Admittedly I don’t see homeless people deep in the trail network. I don’t know if enforcement has anything to do with it.
Garbage in, garbage out. JRH obviously lives, eats, and sleeps in a dumpster.
Bikes and motorcycles can get to the same places and don’t require the same care and feeding. But you’re an angry elf who incessantly defends Fullerton’s administrative stupidity, so you answered again as a petulant twat would.
Not saying it’s always the best way, but without an Everything-Goverment-Does-Is-Stupid bias, I look at things without the same lens as this blog.
If you’re determined to see no advantage to a horse over a quad-now-motorcycle, you’re not going to see it.
Mr. Google says, they ride higher, giving a wider field of view, they can get around some obstacles that wheels cannot, they tend to avoid trampling wildlife of their own volition.
Horses for courses.
Getting desperate? City Hall stooge.
Mr. Google says you are a damn fool.
And an angry manatee.
The more sense I make, the angrier you guys get.
You never make sense. Ever. However, you are always angry.
There is literally nothing a cop on a horse cannot see that cannot be seen better with the drones they demanded we buy them.
This is nonsense.
I don’t think drones would be appropriate for the trails. Also, it only gives you a look at the trail, doesn’t actually get an officer to a given location.
You’ll say anything to defend the stupid. And, that makes you uber-stupid. And an angry manatee.
Which is why you use a quad, ya dope.
Or a horse. Or a motorcycle.
If you’ve been on the trails you’d know they can be pretty narrow in spots. A quad wouldn’t go everywhere.
Neither would a horse you damned fool.
You don’t want a motorcycle patrolling the trials. They’ll spook the horses and no one walking or cycling wants to suck up engine exhaust.
Good point.
The purpose of a cop on a horse is to intimidate the populace.
And to make the cops feel even more powerful and superior above their subjects than they already do.
Now they finally look like the plantation goons they really are.
The horsefaces show up the same day Jan Flory returns.
I noticed that Fullerton’s Finest also have a very expensive BMW GS motorcycle AKA Adventure bike. Are they planning some off road adventures with motorcycles and ponies ?
Commercial stables charge between $600 and $700 to stable and board a horse each month. That means FPD (us) has to pay $3000 to $3500 per month for those five horses we see; or $36,000 to $42,000 per year.
That doesn’t include shoeing, tack and equipment, and of course specialty vet bills.
The article at the register has more info and says: “Each officer owns and cares for their horse at their own expense, which includes food, boarding, veterinary care and farrier service (putting on horseshoes). And, their duties in the mounted unit are in addition to their regular assignments.”
Overtime.
So each cop is going to pay $8000 a year plus vet bills, etc. Haha. That’s either false or we’re paying our cops way too much.
It is a lot. But… dollars to donuts, the only officers interested in this voluntary program would already own a horse as part of their lifestyle beyond work.
Sunk costs have no impact on business decisions. And anytime you’re selling your labor in the marketplace you’re making a business decision.
And it’s not unheard of to bring your own assets to work a job. Tradesmen typically have their own tools, Uber drivers use their own vehicle, office workers sometimes BYOD to use their smartphone for their work.
Next time I hear a horse neigh, it will remind me of money being flushed down the toilet. Who cares about going further into debt??
No wonder the school district is pushing for a new bond. Need more money?? No problem! Make the property owners and renters pay for it. We will ALL pay.
No wonder the city is trying to push a new tax AGAIN.
I would love for the Fullerton citizens to stand up and unite against new taxes. Enough is enough.
This all about crowd control.
Cops and fire whiners don’t get out of bed in the morning without a pay incentive. I would pull a copy of the latest and greatest MOU with the Fullerton POA to see if they approved a specialty pay incentive for these wannabe cowboys. I’m willing to bet they’re getting an extra pay bump for this “specialty” assignment. An assignment dreamt up by the POA themselves mostly for the sole purpose of picking up an extra pay incentive to help pad their pensions since specialty pays are considered PERSable.
Not at all unlikely.
“Cops and fire whiners don’t get out of bed in the morning without a pay incentive.”
OK, but I think you’ve just described all employees: selling labor for money.
The city did buy a very expensive horse trailer to transport the horses. All the bells and whistles. No expenses spared when it’s taxpayer money!
Yeah, I wonder what that cost. Maybe Hoogieboogie can find out.
Hadn’t thought of it until now, but who cleans up after these equines? Or is it just part of the downtown effluence experience?
The cops will carry plastic poop bags. The giant puddles of urine, well that an occupation trail hazard. We just have to take a deep breath – according to some idiot.
Horses and their owners are already welcome and certainly appear on our shared use recreational trails.
Are you suggesting they not be allowed to use the trails?