In summer 2007, the State Department contacted the U.S. Park Police in search of an expert in horse-mounted patrol to support a developing HMP unit in Tibilsi, Georgia.

With the support of its chief of police, the USPP selected Officer W. Eric Evans, an instructor from its horse-mounted unit, to travel to Georgia. Evans was to evaluate the status and needs for the developing of an HMP unit in the country’s Division of Law. 

In November 2007, Evans traveled to Georgia and met with officials of the State Department, the Republic of Georgia, and members of the developing HMP unit. While there, he evaluated the status of the mounts and facilities, along with the training needs of the officers.

Based on Evans’ evaluation, the USPP determined some members of the new HMP unit in Georgia could benefit from the type of training it provides in the United States. The USPP determined its 10-week basic HMP Officer Training, which began on Feb. 25, 2008, could fulfill those training needs. 

The USPP has been providing HMP training to law-enforcement agencies throughout the United States at its Edgewater Training Facility in Rock Creek Park, Washington, D.C. The USPP developed this comprehensive course to train both riders and nonriders. At the end of the 10-week course, the students are able to safely ride and patrol in situations involving city streets, wooded trails and demonstrations.   Sgt. Robert Hartnett, Officer Mariea Clowers, Officer Pancho Gonzales, and Officer Paul Padberg staff the USPP Training Barn. This was the first time the HMP training staff tackled international multi-lingual training. To support this training and the Georgian officers attending, the USPP added officers Evans and Ronald Markland to the HMP training staff. Also assisting were USPP Officers Thomas LoCascio and Janet Kim and Officer John Ardovini of the Maryland National Capital Park Police, Prince Georges County Division.

The HMP staff conducted the training for 12 students; seven from the USPP; 3 from the MNCPP, and 2 from the Republic of Georgia.  The two Georgian officers that attended were Master Sgt. Levan Pantsulaia and Sgt. Irakli Markozashvili.  This training provided the structure and groundwork for future training of the Georgian HMP officers. 

Both Pantsulaia and Markozashvili arrived at the training with impressive riding skills. Even so, during the training they acquired the knowledge of how to train other riders. They also learned how to use the horse as a law-enforcement tool and how beneficial an HMP unit is for maintaining crowd control. The State Department provided two interpreters, Ia Meurmishvili and Anna Kalandadze, to interpret verbal and written information during the training. The largest challenge, over and above the basic translation issues, was that terminology germane to horse-mounted riding did not translate into their native language.   The interpreters, with no prior horse experience, helped create Georgian terminology for future training sessions.

The training was a huge success, graduating USPP Officers Rebecca Russell, Denise Maradiaga, James Murphy, and Jeffrey Schneider; MNCPP Officers Damon Atwater, Hector Reyes and Shane Skeete, as well as the two Georgians. The graduation occurred on May 2, 2008. In attendance were Deputy Assistant Secretary Charles Snyder, State Department; Director Erin Barclay, State Department; Deputy Chief of Mission Malkhaz Mikeladze of the Georgian Embassy; and Deputy Chief David Stover, USPP.

Evans and Markland soon followed the Georgian officers back to Georgia. The two officers’ expertise led the USPP to select them to provide onsite HMP training specializing in Public Relations and Crowd Control. Both officers spent approximately three weeks in the country training the Georgian HMP Unit.

Due to the success of this training, the State Department invited USPP Deputy Chief David Stover to address the heads of the Georgia in ways to utilize the HMP unit to improve community and public relations.

The USPP-HMP unit is honored to have had the opportunity to assist another nation in establishing their HMP unit. This training reflects on the USPP’s proud history and professionalism.