Valley City Adding Mounted Patrol Unit
The Valley City Police Department (VCPD) has been considering adding a mounted patrol unit for a while because of the increase in visitors to the downtown area. Mounted patrol units are good tools for crowd control, and they help deter crime. When you think of mounted patrol units, you think of a police officer on a horse. That’s what VCPD had in mind initially, but their plans changed. Since The Valley has basically become a desert recently, VCPD felt a camel would be a better option.
VCPD found Nadia online from a camel farm in Saudi Arabia. She has actually served as a mounted patrol unit in Saudi Arabia, and that was a big plus for the VCPD. They made arrangements to get her to Valley City, and she arrived a couple days ago. VCPD chief Joe Turban said, “We’re so excited about Nadia and what she’s going to add to our department. She has a great temperament, and everyone already loves her. The kids are really going to love her. We have some challenges we have to work through with her, but she’s going to be a big asset for us.”
The main challenge Chief Turban is referring to is the language barrier; all of Nadia’s owners and handlers have spoken Arabic. So, the mounted officers are going to have to learn some Arabic in order to work with her. A couple officers have already started the process of learning basic commands for her. I spoke with Barney Griffith who will be one of the mounted officers. Griffith said, “I never thought I’d be learning Arabic. It’s a lot different than English, that’s for sure. I really like Nadia, and I think we’re gonna have a good working relationship. Hopefully, she’ll be patient with me while I learn some Arabic.”
Beautiful Nadia
Chief Turban said Nadia will hopefully start patrolling in a month or so, but it depends on how quickly his mounted officers can overcome the language barrier. Valleyans are excited about Nadia. One downtown business owner I spoke with said, “This is very unique for The Valley and America; you don’t see camels with mounted patrol units. I think people from all around are going to come see Nadia, so I think it will help me and other downtown businesses. Plus, you know kids are going to love interacting with her. It’s going to be a good thing for Valley City and The Valley.”
Get ready Valleyans! You’re going to see Nadia overload on the socials soon. Nadia loves people and she is friendly, but keep in mind that camels do spit when they feel threatened or uncomfortable. Chief Turban said, “Valleyans, give her some space and be respectful. You don’t want her to spit on you; it’s not pleasant.”