MITCHELLVILLE, MD — At the Park Police Mounted Unit Substation in Mitchellville, Friday proved to be a day of citations and proclamations as the police division celebrated its historic six decades of service.
"Sixty years is a big deal. It's not a lot of people that live to see 60, let alone have a unit as established, as well known, as entrenched in Prince George's County as our mounted unit," Prince George's County Park Police Chief Germaine Haywood told Patch.
The proclamation marking the 60th anniversary "stamps that we are relevant, that this agency, specifically our mounted unit, has done a great job providing a service for Prince George's County and the surrounding areas," he said.
The force dates back to 1964, when four horses were rented from a local stable to provide security for a Boy Scout Jamboree hosted by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.
Two years later, the mounted unit had its first two dedicated officers, Sergeant George Klotz and Officer Donald Deering. By 1972, the unit grew to nearly two dozen officers. Today, it continues its tradition with a team of 12.
The police division plays a vital role in the community and routinely patrols parks, trails, county fairgrounds and sporting events.
At Friday's ceremony, several former officers who served in the unit returned to participate in the anniversary celebration. For Haywood, it was a welcomed reunion.
"I'm glad we were able to acknowledge and bring those folks back that were a part of it from start to finish," the police chief told Patch. "It's more like a homecoming."
Looking to the service's next 60 years, the police chief said the focus is on continuing the legacy of the mounted unit as a staple of not just the county, but D.C., Maryland and Virginia.
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