Evansville Police Announce New Addition to the Mounted Patrol Unit [PHOTO]

The Evansville Police Department's Mounted Patrol has announced the addition of a new officer to the force. Meet Maximus.

The Mounted Patrol is a relatively new wing of the Department and is not only used as part of their community outreach initiative (the horses are popular with the public, especially kids), but also provide a unique way for officers to patrol areas the standard police vehicle can't access, such as street festivals, as noted on the EPD Foundation's website:

Policing on horseback provides the flexibility to patrol areas that vehicles cannot easily reach, such as green ways, parks and other pedestrian areas. The height advantage for the officers while sitting atop the horse allow riders to easily observe crowd activities or look over walls and fences, areas that would go unnoticed by officers on foot or in patrol vehicles.

The Patrol shared a photo of Maximus on the their Facebook page Tuesday evening, noting that he's currently training in Lexington, Kentucky with his new teammate, Blondie "learning the newest techniques and strategies for police work from horseback."

The EPD Foundation also notes there is no money in the Department's budget for a mounted patrol unit. The unit is made possible, and always has been, through donations from local businesses and individuals like you and me. If you'd like to make a contribution, you can do so anytime through the EPD Foundation's website.

Welcome to the force, Maximus!

[Source: EPD Mounted Patrol on Facebook]