Horses in the Chicago Police Department’s Mounted Unit assigned to crowd control during the NATO and G-8 summits will be outfitted with “riot gear,” just like the officers riding them and those on the ground facing off against protesters.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s administration is soliciting bids for “police horse riot gear and training aids” in preparation for the May 19-21 summits at McCormick Place expected to shine an international spotlight on Chicago.
An officer assigned to the Mounted Unit, who asked to remain anonymous, noted that some of the 30 horses “may not be street-ready” in time for the NATO and G-8 summits.
“If you look at our manpower, there’s enough of us where we could take a city street. If they split us up, we could possibly do two locations, but our effectiveness would be diminished. That’s the most they could get out of us: two locations. And these demonstrators could be everywhere,” the officer said.
We're waiting for the bid to come out for "Lances, Shields, Maces and Plate Armor." A good old fashioned cavalry charge might be exactly what is needed to clear the streets at some point.