The Buena Park Mounted Patrol Unit was established in 2000. Mounted Patrol teams (rider and horse) attend community events and allow citizens to interact with the horses and open a line of communication with the rider. The Mounted Patrol Unit is frequently seen at the annual Silverado Days Festival and other community events such as High School football games, Buena Park Mall details, Fourth of July events, and Halloween Haunt at Knott’s Berry Farm.
Riders on the Mounted Patrol Unit volunteer the use of their own horses to the city of Buena Park Police Department and the entire community. The horses are owned by the individual employees and are all subject to rigorous training. The employees and their horses attend a 40-hour Mounted Patrol Course before field deployment. The entire Mounted Patrol Unit trains quarterly, while each individual rider and their horse train almost daily. The Mounted Patrol Unit is trained to remain calm in the face of danger and to respond to a variety of situations. This Unit is especially useful in crowd-control situations. The overall height of a rider on a horse gives the rider a visual advantage during most situations. This aids in deterring criminal activity and removes the officer from potential dangers.