St. Petersburg police began using mounted patrols to monitor a stretch of the Pinellas Trail on Thursday that has seen a rash of thefts and beatings.
Since 2013, there has been 14 robberies on the section of trail between 43rd and 49th streets south, according to police.
Officer Ron Try said riding on his 9-foot-tall, 1,400 pound horse gives him an excellent platform to view long segments of the trail and for potential criminals to see the police presence.
"They’ve usually got fences back behind all the yards so people have no idea what’s going on on the trials," Try said. "So, if they see the horse walking by, you’re nine feet tall and they see police all over the place and now to them we’ve got more of a presence out here."
Thursday was the first of a series of planned mounted patrols for the Pinellas Trail in St. Petersburg. Police don't plan to announce their future patrols.
"It’s going to be random," said officer Mitch Detty. "So that nobody knows really what the schedule is."
Patrons who use the trail said they welcome the mounted patrols.
"I think it’s a great idea," said Don Mullholland. "It will certainly increase the safety of the trail."
"I like the idea if it’s horses and bikes and not motorized vehicles. It’s more eco-friendly," said Terry Garbis. "I think it’s a good thing for the city of St. Pete and the Pinellas Trail."
Detty said the department's also in the process of funding an initial 14 surveillance cameras that the city hopes to have installed on the trail by the fall.