Letter: Metro should skip horseplay

Wednesday, Nov. 11, 1998 | 9:57 a.m.

The Sun's story of Nov. 8, "Metro's first mounted patrol," has all the makings of a 10-cent romantic, Western novel.

Since the invention of gunpowder the Knights of old in shinny armor were already searching for less hazardous work. It's fine and dandy that Metro is bringing younger people into its ranks, but the sheriff should end this stupid horseplay. The juveniles working at Metro, playing cowboys and Indians, should grow up and face the realities of a modern and efficient police force.

The rhetoric as dutifully reported by Sun writer Karen Zekan never questions the negatives of using horses on the masses. The taxpaying citizenry of Las Vegas doesn't think of themselves in those terms, and the intent of using a 1,200-pound horse, coming straight at you, is indeed what Metro has intended: to scare you to death.

Come on, sheriff, are you trying to pull those horse blinders over the taxpayers' eyes? Aren't you happy with your helicopters, and the increased fleet of new patrol cars, and those nice 4X4 sport utility vehicles, vehicles that go anywhere? And what about those fat boys on new Harley Davidsons that are showing up all over town? What about the possibility of adding more TV spy cameras around town too.

Milton Portnoy

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