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The use of animals in law enforcement is a rapidly growing phenomenon. There are nearly 5,200 police dogs in the United States. Ninety percent of police departments serving populations of 100,000 or more use dogs for police work; two thirds of all local police officers are employed in departments that use dogs. Dogs are used primarily for investigative purposes--to track suspects and detect narcotics. Evidence uncovered by trained police dogs may be used in court.
An estimated 1,200 horses are used in law enforcement. Like dogs, horses are more commonly used in large jurisdictions than in small ones. Nearly 85 percent of large cities have mounted patrols, and more cities of all sizes are establishing them. Historically, horses were used primarily to control crowds and patrol rough terrain. Today, they are being used in routine neighborhood patrols. Mounted patrols cover more area than foot patrols, have greater visibility, provide good community relations, and cost less to purchase and maintain than squad cars.
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