Mounted Enforcement Unit team patrols at county parks, special events, and is used for crowd control. (Courtesy photo)
Source: Raquel Zick for Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office
New riding helmets will serve dual purposes
The Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse has donated new riding helmets to members of the Sheriff’s Mounted Enforcement Unit. The Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation that raises funds for the benefit of the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office,
The posse was formed by local residents to find ways to help the Sheriff’s Office improve efficiency, performance and morale by helping fill the gap between the county's expanding law enforcement needs and constrained county budgets.
The posse routinely funds ongoing D.A.R.E. education in elementary schools, supports the Sheriff’s K9 and Mounted Enforcement Unit programs, as well as a variety of specialized equipment and training needs of the Sheriff’s Office.
The Mounted Enforcement Unit team is comprised of sheriff’s deputies who perform law enforcement activities from horseback. They routinely patrol at county parks, special events, directed enforcement activities, and are often used for crowd control in large scale events or in times of civil unrest.
Equipment for the Mounted Enforcement Unit is received in large part through donations or other surplus supplies.
The donation of new, purpose-made riding helmets, manufactured by the Super Seer Corporation, will allow mounted officers to have a single helmet that can be used for routine patrol environments, as well as crowd control and civil unrest situations.
“Prior to this donation, team members had two helmets, one for routine patrol use, and another for crowd control situations," said Erik Raney, the unit’s commander. "The new Super Seer helmets are specially designed for law enforcement equestrian units, and serve both functions.
"We are truly grateful for the ongoing support that the mounted unit has received from the posse. The entire Sheriff’s Office benefits from the posse’s support, which in turn allows us to improve the service we provide to our communities.”