The Preston Police Force in Lancashire, United Kingdom, upped its numbers for the holiday shopping season by adding five mounted police to the regular shift number. One would think such buttressing of protective supervision would be appreciated by the locals across the board; it's instead become the topic of debate. The reason?
The police don’t think that they have to clean up after their horses.
Former Mayor Bill Tyson is among those who believe the police are in the wrong for leaving the horses' droppings behind them. He stated that the thoroughfares of Fishergate were left covered in "half a ton of muck" during the mounted officers' stint, resulting in many of the shoppers "kicking off" (British slang for expressing negative opinion or protesting).
The police responded that the trade-off of cleanliness for safety was one worth paying. Preston Police Inspector Jill Halliwell even went so far as to add that "Horse dung is just recycled grass. There is no disease carried in it and it just washes away."
This is an interesting topic of dissension to me. On one hand, we have shoppers who'd appreciate more police, especially if those police are sitting on animals that can run down purse snatchers. We also have business owners who have opined that the mounted police presence makes them feel safe. On the other hand we have shoppers who might be wearing shoes that cost four hundred pounds, shoes branded by YSL or Manolo Blahnik. We might see businessmen wearing their best suits, only to gaze down and find the cuff of their best brushed wool is caked in horse shit. Who's going to cover that dry cleaning bill? And why is that same businessman reminded to pick up after his Springer Spaniel lest he be awarded a fine?
Personally, I find it irrational for the police to spend the extra money to put five mounted police on patrol, full well knowing there is going to be poop underfoot, when not a bit extra for an hourly street cleaner will be spared. After all, these are the same police who would gladly ticket you for leaving Fido’s doodoo next to their mounts’ road apples.
Whether or not the poop in question is partially-digested hay, I’d be upset if I stepped in it during a day of holiday shopping. I would have most likely taken the time to dress nicely and probably prepared for a day out of shopping and eating. Any plans I might have had for lunching at a swank new restaurant would be shot down once I found my feet and ankles splattered in muck.
Do you think the police in this case should pick up after their horses? Do you think the citizens upset about it are whining? Do you think it would have been worth the extra money for the city to put a few pooper scoopers out and about? Tell us, PoopReporters: how would you react if this happened in your downtown area?
