WATCH: Wild NYPD Body Cam Footage Shows Horseback Cop Helping Officers Catch a Thief

Horseback cops tend to draw a lot of public attention with their visibility to onlookers, especially in urban environments like New York City. Still, the New York Police Department’s Mounted Unit has a prominent role in maintaining order around the city, and they exemplified that very recently when they helped foil a robbery around Times Square.

The NYPD released footage on Tuesday of a mounted officer confronting a man suspected of robbing a sunglasses vendor on Saturday. The man tried to run away, but horse-riding officer galloped after him, and fellow officers were able to swiftly apprehend the suspect without further incident.

All of your NYPD officers are involved in crime reduction, even the four-legged ones.

Saturday evening, a male robbed a sunglass vendor in Times Square, but a @NYPDSpecialops Mounted officer was hot on his trail. With assistance from nearby officers an arrest was quickly made. pic.twitter.com/5ANbLKdYSI

— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) July 19, 2022

Horseback cops on the move in New York tend to stand out from the cars, buildings and other fixtures of city life, but at least their upkeep costs aren’t impacted by gas prices. More importantly, past profiles on the NYPD Mounted Unit have described how the horses are well looked after, form deep bonds with the riders they’re partnered with, and keep the city safe in a number of ways.

Watch above, via NYPD News.