Police Horses To Get Riot Gear For NATO/G8 Summits
By aaroncynic in News on Feb 21, 2012 6:20PM
The Mayor’s office will be gearing up Chicago Police Department horses for battle for the NATO/G8 summits in May. The Emanuel administration is currently soliciting bids for police horse riot gear and training aids, according to the Sun-Times. The solicitation requests:
Leather nose guards — 22 inches long and five inches wide — with “impact-absorbing foam”; clear, wrap-around visors to protect the horse’s eyes; 17-inch-long rear leg shields and 11-inch-long front leg shields, both made of “high-impact plastic” and soft foam; and “training aids” for horses, including a “crowd control training ball set.”
Chicago Police spokesperson Melissa Stratton said all 30 of the department’s mounted unit will be equipped with the gear. “This is not the first time we’ve had gear for the horses. We are updating the equipment. We have had horses attacked in the past,” said Stratton. Fraternal Order of Police President Michael Shields lauded the solicitation, saying “the safety of the horses is paramount to the safety of the officers.”
The cost of the gear for the horses has yet to be revealed. Already, the city has secured a contract worth nearly $200,000 to supply police with new riot helmets.