Police horses to be named for fallen officers

The Philadelphia Police Department plans to name five adopted horses in its reinstated mounted patrol unit after officers who were killed in the line of duty.

The memorial has won praise from the Fraternal Order of Police and families of the slain officers, John McNesby, local Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5 president, said yesterday.

The horses will be named after Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski, who was killed May 3, 2008; Isabel Nazario, who was killed Sept. 5, 2008; Sgt. Patrick McDonald, who was killed Sept. 23, 2008; Sgt. Timothy Simpson, who was killed Nov. 11, 2008; and John Pawlowski, who was killed on Feb. 13, 2009.

The horses are to be named Stephen, Santiago (Nazario's maiden name), Pat, Tiny Tim and Johnny.

"I think it's a nice tribute. For Commissioner [Charles] Ramsey to make that gesture, it means a lot to the families," McNesby said, adding that he spoke with Kim Pawlowski, whose husband, John, was killed in the line of duty.

"She's actually excited about it," he said. Because of budget issues, the mounted unit was disbanded in 2004 after 32 years of service. McNesby said that the return of the equine unit is sure to enhance the department's grip on crime. Department officials hope to employ a mounted unit including 10 to 12 horses by the end of the year.

"It's a necessary tool in a big city we have here," McNesby said. "It's a good tool for crowd control and it's something that no big city - especially of our size - should go without."