16 in Pacoima Projects Arrested
Mounted police arrested 16 people at Pacoima housing projects on Tuesday on charges ranging from truancy to drug possession, authorities said.
Riding their own horses, 20 Los Angeles police officers patrolled the Van Nuys, Pierce Park and San Fernando Gardens housing projects from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sgt. Gary Fennell said.
Fennell said the mounted patrols give the officers more mobility than they have in cars and put them higher up than officers on foot. Police said they hope the high visibility of the operation, the second of its kind this month, will deter drug dealers.
“The point of it is to cut down on the thuggery that takes place in and around these projects,” Sgt. Ed Bricker said.
Officers also showed a more benign side by letting children and residents of the area pet the horses, Fennell said.
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