Why does New York City still have police officers on horses?

The other answers here are good. In a nutshell, mounted officers are extremely effective in crowd control, have a much higher perch (and therefore visibility both of them and by them), are able to quickly and effectively move through places that cars can't go, and at speeds faster than people can run. read more

I have seen mounted police officers doing crowd control in New York and New Orleans Mardi Gras. Incredibly effective. read more

New York’s mounted unit has shrunk considerably over the last decade: it now has 79 police officers and 60 horses, down from the 130 officers and 125 horses it had before, Deputy Commissioner Paul J. Browne said. read more

Most major police departments, including the Los Angeles Police Department and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (NV), have a mounted unit. They have many good qualities. For instance, the Mounted unit provides a visible, uniformed police presence. Search the LAPD website for all of the details. read more