By Richard Lieberman –
The Ventura Police Department held a press briefing on Tuesday June 3rd to announce the formation of a Mounted Police Unit. Police Chief David Dickey stated that the unit has four horses and four experienced officers, tasked with increasing community engagement and enhancing public safety in Ventura.
Officers Daniel Strautman, Jaime Uribe, Craig Kelly, and Jackie Stone staff the unit. All four Ventura officers that make up the unit will perform these duties in addition to their regular patrol assignments.
The unit’s creation was organized by VPD Commander Edward Caliento, with help from Sergeant Craig Kelly, who serves as the unit’s supervisor.
“There’s something truly special about seeing an officer on horseback that makes you stop, smile and engage,” said Ventura Mayor Jeannette Sanchez-Palacios. “This program is a symbol of our city’s ongoing investment in public safety.”
The unit will be utilized for crime deterrence, crowd control, special events, and parades. In addition, the unit will respond to any situation in areas that are difficult to access either on foot, or with a patrol unit. “We have a lot of major events in the city, we have the Strawberry Festival, the fair and other events that have large crowds, having mounted patrols make it easier to go into crowds and go around crowds.” said mounted officer Jaime Uribe. Key locations around the city where residents can expect to see mounted officers are Downtown Ventura, the Ventura Promenade, the Ventura Harbor, and local parks. The unit will patrol both during daytime hours and nighttime hours.
“Mounted patrols are not just effective, they’re memorable,” said Chief David Dickey. “This timeless, community focused approach encourages dialogue, builds trust, and reinforces safety in Ventura’s most vibrant spaces. We are especially grateful to the resolute officers who are partnering with us to launch this program and who generously offer their own horses, care, and equine expertise to make it possible.” Chief Dickey added ““As the city has grown quite a bit in the last few years, and the complexity of policing has evolved, we’re finding new ways, such as this, to police our community and actually do some community outreach at the same time,” said VPD Chief David Dickey. “This is about more than just enforcing laws, it’s really about providing safe public spaces while also engaging with the community.”
The planning for inception of the unit began last October and officers and horses began training in April. They completed a 40-hour Peace Officers Standards and Training certified Basic Mounted Patrol course. The training curriculum included horsemanship, patrol tactics, grooming, and the unique functions and limitations of a mounted unit. In addition to the state required training, Ventura PD will continue to provide ongoing training to reinforce skills such as obstacle navigation, desensitization, and scenario-based exercises to ensure readiness in dynamic urban environments.
Each horse in the unit is privately owned by its assigned officer, who provides daily care, feeding, grooming, and housing. The department supplies all protective equipment and training.
