First Sgt. Kim Chinn started and leads the Prince William County Police Mounted Unit. The four officers on horseback can regularly be seen trotting through neighborhoods or patrolling large events, like concerts at Nissan Pavilion or the huge immigrant rally last September.
How did you get involved with horses?
I went on rides as a kid, and when I got my degree from George Mason about five years ago, I wanted to take something fun to go with Government 401, so I started taking riding lessons, and now I own two horses.
Why does a suburban community need officers on horseback?
A few reasons. First, we’re approachable. We also have a unique position. We’re about 10 feet tall, so it’s ideal for patrolling mall parking lots, Nissan Pavilion. It’s just the neatest tool to be able to talk to people and be able to talk to police officers.
Can you chase people on horseback?
Definitely. We can be used for search and rescues. The one search where they called us out, we were all on the way when they caught the person.
Which horse is yours?
Dudley. He was donated to the park service and had been a fox hunter here in Virginia. He’s a quarter horse and a really sweet guy. He excels at the [public relations] part of the job.
Was this an easy sell for Police Chief Charlie Deane?
We’d been trying to get the chief to approve a mounted unit, did some research, took him on a ride and convinced him that a small unit would help the department.
Do you ever stop anyone on horseback?
Sure, we do have contacts, but many are minor. A guy drove up to us at a stop sign. He had three or four kids in the back of his car without seat belts. We wrote him a ticket.
