Thousands of masked Munsonians crammed the streets of downtown Muncie for the annual Mardi Gras celebration last Saturday. Music filled the air as people sipped on a beverage or revealed a body part for treasured beads. Among the 11,000 spectators in attendance, two people didn't go unnoticed.
Two police officers rode into downtown on horses. They trotted through swarms of people, occasionally stopping to chat and control the massive crowd.
"I'm one of the most familiar faces in town," officer William Rapp said.
Rapp joins Eric Kirkman, completing Muncie's Mounted Police patrol.
Together with the help of their horses Senator, Malibu and Roman, they patrol the downtown area, every Muncie parade and other special events that draw a large crowd. The patrol can minimize criminal activity, control crowds and increase citizens' sense of safety. Rapp and Kirkman also travel to local schools, day cares and retirement homes, providing presentations.
"I get to ride (horses) everyday," Rapp said. "Some people pay top dollar and travel all over the United States to do what I get paid to do. This is the best job on the police department, hands down. When you're in a police car, you're the enemy, and when you're on the horse, you are everyone's friend."
Rapp was a Muncie police officer for 14 years before moving to the mounted patrol last year.
"He was selected primarily because he was very good with people and kids," Muncie's Chief of Police Joe Winkle said. "There was an opening in the Mounted Patrol, and he showed an interest in it, so we grabbed him up, and it's been a nice surprise. He's done very well. He's a good police man."
Rapp didn't have riding experience before joining the Mounted Patrol.
"He didn't really know much about horses, but he knew how to be a cop," Eric Kirkman said. "He's came a long way in a year. He's a good rider, has good balance and has good control of the horse."
During his 14 years in uniform, he has been exposed to countless life-threatening situations.
"I've been in burning houses, choking on smoke and trying to make sure everyone is out and safe in a uniform that would melt to your skin," he said.
Before becoming a police officer, he attended Vincennes University for two years and Ball State for a year pursuing a career in corporate law. He wanted to go on to law school, but he couldn't afford it. Instead, he joined the Marines and his father encouraged him to become a police officer.
"My dad was the president of Muncie Crime Stoppers at the time, and he really wanted me to join the police force," he said.
Thinking it would be a good stepping-stone for becoming a lawyer, he applied to the Muncie Police Department. It wasn't long until he realized he didn't want to be a lawyer after all.
"I didn't want to spend every day behind a desk or in a library doing research," he said. "Even in a police car you're not in the same place doing the same thing every day."
His current job pays him to ride a horse. He works 20 days each month with one other officer and three horses. The officers arrive at the office at 6 a.m. every day to feed their partners. The officers give Senator, Malibu and Roman an hour to eat before cleaning their stalls, bathing and grooming them.
The five of them share a red building on Mulberry Street surrounded by a white picket fence in the middle of downtown Muncie.
Visitors to the building are greeted by three cats wandering around the building and the sweet smell of living in the country. Rapp and Kirkman share the front of the building and use it as an office. More than half the building is devoted to the horses' stables. Oats and hay are scattered sparingly on the floor giving it the look of a country horse barn. Gazing out the windows, one can see residents strolling down the sidewalks and traffic constantly passing through the intersections.
"Basically, it's a tiny working farm," Rapp said.
The officers tend to the horses in the mornings. Their afternoons are spent tackling office duties, giving presentations and attending special functions.
"When there is a job to be done, (Rapp) does it," said Kirkman.
The horses are an important part of the division so there are strict guidelines for selecting them.
"We use gated horses because they're designed for endurance and comfort," Rapp said.
It's important the horses don't get startled easily because they are exposed to massive amounts of people at one time, he said.
Dealing with the horses on a daily basis exposes the officers to potential accidents.
"We've been lucky not to have any serious injuries," he said.
One of the horses bit Kirkman on the shoulder, and Rapp's feet have been stepped on. His horse recently fell down and drug him across the ground a couple feet.
"When you put them in completely different environments, it can be a challenge," said Rapp. "I try to get them to do things out of the ordinary so they'll get accustomed to it."
The horses will remain in active duty as long as they are in good riding condition.
"They are a good public relations tool for the police department," Winkle said.
Rapp and Kirkman will continue to ride with pride. Rapp said he will stay as long as they let him.
"We're not getting paid top dollar to be out here," he said. "We do it because we want to and we enjoy it."
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Muncie has had a horse patrol division since 1908 and became full-time in 1982. It was the only department in Indiana at that time to have a full-time division, Rapp said.
The division wouldn't be what it is today without the support of the police department and mayor's office, Kirkman said.
Ball State used to have a mounted patrol with three to five officers and horses where the current alumni center is, Rapp said.
There are other locations throughout the state that continue to have horse divisions, but they aren't full-time, he said.
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