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Officers on steed will once again ride the streets of Livermore, as the city’s police department reintroduced its Mounted Police Unit in October.
The team will help patrol most community events in the city, assist on search and rescue missions in difficult-to-reach areas and increase the police’s community outreach, Livermore Police Department public information officer Azenith Smith told Livermore Vine.
The department has restarted the group because “Mounted Patrol Units have been shown to be an effective crime prevention and enforcement tool for special events and rough terrain locations,” Smith said.
She added, “The City of Livermore has a western-themed heritage and a long history of equestrian-related activities.”
The unit is composed of four Livermore police officers, three of which are full-time and one of which is a volunteer reserve officer. Each has an equine partner: Gabe, Tank, Ruby and Betty.
As an ancillary unit, LPD will deploy the officers and their horses as they are required in parks and open spaces, where traditional patrols may be unable to reach, according to Smith.
In addition to patrolling, the mounted unit is meant to strengthen the relationship between the police and community. They will be at events like the Livermore Half Marathon, Downtown Street Fest and the Fourth of July celebration. And they may appear in future parades.
As of now, they’re in the midst of specialized training, but they attended several outreach events in October and could be deployed immediately for search and rescue missions, Smith said.
The department announced the unit on Facebook on Oct. 17 and wrote, “If you see us around town, be sure to stop by and say hello!”
Editor’s note: The Livermore Police Department clarified on Thursday that the preferred name of the team is the Mounted Police Unit.
