Mounted patrol units travel where patrol cars cannot, allowing officers to see much farther than those on the ground. In Rochester, the horses and their officers work the streets of downtown to help with crowd and crime control and community outreach.

"The horses draw so many people to them because everybody wants to see the horse which then connects us with the community we're serving," said Rochester Police Officer Joanne Woodworth.

Although a horse can be sweet and gentle, the animals can also be unpredictable when placed in unknown situations and have the ability to crush their rider.

"They're smart, intelligent animals that we can teach different things to, but they are still an animal," Woodworth added. "Accidents can occur, and we do our best to evaluate our horses on a daily basis."

Among the first patrolmen selected to join the Rochester Police Department's Mounted Patrol Squad in 1910 was Charles Twitchell. He was on duty August 7, 1910, when his horse slipped on wet pavement on Rockingham Street. The horse fell, landing on its back and trapping Officer Twitchell underneath with no possible way to escape.

"The horse crushed him and he died later at the hospital, an accident very unfortunate," retired RPD Captain Lynde Johnston said. 

At the time of his death, Twitchell was President of the Rochester Police Locust Club. The union came together after to support the officer who died in the line of duty.

Although it was an unfortunate accident, today, there is training and equipment that help to better protect horses and officers.

"We always have a helmet on every time we're on that horse," Woodworth said. "We put shoes on the horses and we also put on the bottom of their shoes little drill trek spikes to provide them with more traction."

Twitchell left behind a wife and three children, after serving the police department for 13 years. The horse survived the incident, but it's still unclear if it remained on patrol.