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.
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