Santa Monica cops climb into saddle
WILL ROGERS STATE PARK Nestled at the top of a canyon overlooking the city below is a dusty practice ring where Officers Phillbo Rubish and Rick Verbeck train with their four-legged partners, Bert and Barney, two relatively new members to the Santa Monica Mounted Police Unit.
Verbeck, a rookie himself, is trying to perfect his gallop and control over Barney, ordering him to stop quickly and change direction, a tactic needed to keep control over a large crowd of protesters.
“Nice job, Ricky,” shouted Rubish, the agent in charge of the unit, sporting a cowboy hat, blue-jeans and a shiny silver-and-gold belt buckle featuring a badge and a horse. “Remember to ride with the saddle … That’s it!”
It’s around 8:30 in the morning and Verbeck is running on roughly three hours of sleep, the consequences of working the night shift and being a member of the unit, which is comprised of four horses and eight officers who pull double duty, holding down a regular shift while putting in extra work to train with the horses, clean them, feed them and take them on patrol, as they did earlier this month for the opening of the new Airport Park.
Being in the mounted unit is special, officers said, not only because of the role it plays in protecting the public, but also because it is funded almost entirely by the public through donations following budget cuts made during the 2001-02 recession.
Without the support of the public, the unit could fold.
“That’s always a possibility, which is why it is so special to be a part of this unit,” said Fullove the last remaining member from the original mounted squad that formed in 1988.“It is truly a honor and something that we all really love doing. Working with the animals is so great and the response we get from the public is amazing.
“I used to laugh so hard when people would come up and the first thing they ask is,‘What’s your horse’s name?’ They could care less about you,” Fullove said with a smile, nodding towards Mr. Cool (who is known to doze off while on duty) and Spider-man — two veteran horses that were standing next to a white wooden fence, chomping on grass.
When it was created, the mounted unit originally consisted of four full-time officers and four horses. Their primary duty was to patrol Palisades Park after officers noticed an increase in drug activity there. The horses provided the officers with good visibility and, somewhat surprisingly, a means of approaching suspects without attracting too much attention.
“I had one time where these two guys were in the middle of a drug deal … and for some reason they saw the horse, but it just didn’t register that I was a cop until I was right on top of them,” Rubish said. “One of the guys had a bunch of drugs in his hand and he looks up at me and says ‘Hey, man, can I pet your horse? I was like, ‘Yeah, just as soon as you put those drugs down.’”
Rubish said he will be patrolling the streets, looking for those who zoom through stop signs and the drivers will be looking right at the horses and still commit the violation. Rubish will flag them down and before he can ask for their license and registration, the driver will ask about the horse.
“Sometimes, they won’t even know what they’ve signed until after I’m riding away,” Rubish said.
Some people are so mesmerized by the horses that it can be dangerous. Rubish and his horse were rear-ended at the corner of Colorado and Ocean avenues by a driver who got distracted checking out the gelding.
Using cavalry tactics developed in the military, officers use the horses primarily for crowd control. They have found the animals to be intimidating for some people and more able to control an area and maintain it than if the department just used officers.
“It’s said that one horse can equal as many as 10 officers,”Fullove said.“People also seem to have a lot of respect for the animals.”
Officers have noticed that people are more likely to respond to requests made by cops on horses than those on foot.
“You come off as not such a formidable foe,” Rubish said as he stood next to Bert, the alpha male of the bunch, who was pulling carts in Amish country before joining the force. “Most people don’t want to do anything to hurt the horses, so they tend to give them more space and respect. I’ve actually seen a group turn on someone who has tried to hurt the horses.”
The animals innately move away from pressure, and therein lies the challenge in training them. Officers have to get the horses to move towards pressure and push crowds back. They also must be used to loud noises, like the sound of gunfire or an ambulance, something which spooks most animals. That is part of the reason why the unit has geldings and not stallions — horses that have not been neutered. Geldings tend to be more calm.
During training, officers use a large red ball and play a game sort of like soccer to get the horses comfortable with pushing things back and forth. Officers blow bubbles, toss baseballs and light fireworks to get the horses used to unfamiliar things they might encounter while on the pier or walking down the promenade.
The training has come in handy in situations like the 2000 Democratic National Convention where there were large crowds in a dense, urban environment, Rubish said.
With a budget close to $10,000 a year and no source of permanent funding, the unit has survived because of the dedication of the officers, staff with animal control and passionate volunteers like actress June Lockhart (“Lassie,” “Lost in Space”), her granddaughter Christianna Triolo, and the Menzies family, who donate time, money and supplies.
The horses are also allowed to stay, rent-fee at Will Rogers, which cuts down tremendously on costs.
Lockhart and Triolo can often be seen at the Santa Monica Pier during the Summer Concert Series soliciting donations in exchange for a mounted police T-shirt, which they wear with pride.
Triolo, 19, tries to visit the horses as much as possible, finding time in between classes and in the summers to clean and feed the four-legged patrolmen. Triolo and her grandmother also pick up sandwiches and snacks for Rubish and the other officers.
“I’ve just always loved horses,” Triolo said as she combed Spider-man. “I think it’s that combination of power and grace. They’re tough animals and have to take care of criminals, but they are so kind in nature.”
Riding is not as romantic as it may seem, especially when a horse goes to the bathroom.
“There’s got to be dozens of pictures of me on the Internet with my shovel picking up horse poop,” Rubish said.“For some reason, people get a kick out of watching us.”
While the horses are used mostly for crowd control, their biggest contribution to the department is in the area of community relations. Wherever the officers go, their trusty steeds attract a crowd. People come up and ask to pet the animals or have their pictures taken with them and the officers.
“I believe being with the mounted unit is what is keeping me in policing today,” Rubish said. “As officers, most of our interaction with the public is on the negative side of things, whether it be giving them a ticket or making an arrest. But being in the mounted unit, I would say 99 percent of my contact with the public is positive. People love the horses and it reminds me of why I do this job. The people really appreciate us.”
At the opening of the Airport Park, Verbeck rode out with the unit for the first time and had a “blast” with kids who ran up wanting to pet the horses.
“I had a lot of fun,”Verbeck said.“I would love it if they made this full time.”
This coming from a guy who got bucked off his horse while auditioning for the unit. Not exactly the best first impression, but Verbeck didn’t let it deter him. His determination was one of the reasons he was ultimately selected.
“That was my biggest fear, and it happened the first time out,”Verbeck said of being tossed. “Well, you know what they say, if you fall off a horse, you’ve got to get right back on.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 12, 2007. Read the original PDF.