Newport Officers Join Horse-Mounted Unit

The Newport Beach Police Department is adding officers on horseback to its force, a police official announced Saturday.

Newport's horse-mounted police officers are the result of the city's collaboration with the Orange County Regional Mounted Enforcement Unit. Jennifer Manzella, police department spokeswoman, said the unit will be used primarily to patrol areas with large crowds that are inaccessible to vehicles, such as the Orange County Marathon and the 4th of July holiday on the Balboa Peninsula.

"We realized the benefits of a Mounted Patrol, especially after using them for crowd control and general enforcement during last July 4th holiday activities," Manzella said. "Officers on horseback have a high vantage point, which affords an excellent view of the surrounding area."

Newport police will also deploy the horse-mounted officers for patrols at parks, beaches, shopping areas, resort areas and neighborhoods experiencing a high-crime rate, Manzella said. 

"The horses help with crowd dispersal, because people move out of the way," Newport Beach police Lt. Evan Sailor said.  "It's pretty intimidating to see a 2,000 pound animal headed your way."

The plan is to have one or two Newport officers join the unit to start, with the goal of having several qualified officers who can ride on a part-time basis. The officers will continue to work in their primary assignment, such as patrol, traffic, or investigations, and will deploy with the unite when requested, Manzella said.

Each officer on the unit is responsible for supplying their own horse, saddle, tack, truck and horse trailer for transportation. They also pay for all costs associated with maintaining the horses including feed, shoeing, veterinary costs and housing.

The OCRMEU is a cooperative effort between the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and the Police Departments of Anaheim, Buena Park, Garden Grove, Newport Beach and Santa Ana.

Assigned officers and their mounts attend a 40-hour Mounted Enforcement School approved by the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training and attend monthly trainings with the OCRMEU.
 
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