Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office mounted patrol provides unique crime-fighting tactics

“One horse and one officer equals 15 to 20 foot officers,” he said, because of the pair’s ease of mobility.

So rather than having to drive around a block to chase a bad guy, a horse and rider can close the gap more quickly traveling between homes or commercial buildings without a need for a wider access point.

Although Mobbs has been with the sheriff’s office for 24 years, it’s just been the past eight to nine years that he’s been part of the four-member mounted unit that’s frequently seen riding in parades and other public relations events for the sheriff’s office.

But those aren’t the only instances when a mounted unit comes in handy. The deputies are frequently found assisting the sheriff’s office in not just crime prevention but also criminal apprehension.

These equine partners allow deputies a distinct, height, agility and pound advantage when it comes to dispersing or capturing criminals. In addition, the horses wear sheriff's badges and accosting or threatening a deputy's horse is looked at in the same light as a threat toward a human deputy.

The deputy’s mounts are personally owned by the four members of the mounted unit, which has dwindled from a previous high of 10 members.

“We do it for the love of the animals,” Mobbs said, explaining that the riders pay for their horse’s way, including hay and feed, shoes and trailering to and from events and patrols.

At a recent class of the Sheriff’s Office Citizen’s Police Academy, Mobbs rode Johnnie, a 9-year-old American Paint; Cindy Flint sat atop Nitro, a 10-year-old Percheron; and Dee Tomshany saddled up Brat, a 14-year-old American Paint horse.

“We patrolled the Dexter tornado area, providing emotional assistance,” Tomshany said, and recently, the trio had arrived at Hogback Road to greet the class and explain what they do after a day spent patrolling MacArthur Boulevard in Superior Township.

“We also go out on missing person cases because we can cover a lot of ground quickly,” Mobbs said.

Although more visible when the weather is good, he said they do not ride when it’s below 20 degrees.

The addition of a mounted unit combined with foot, bike and car patrols can be focused in specific streets and neighborhoods for crime prevention purposes, which is a key component of the sheriff's office community engagement approach to building sustainable communities.