Often the face of the department at special events like parades, the Ramona Pageant, Coachella Fest, Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival, Farmer’s Fair, and at the malls during holidays, the Sheriff’s Posse plays a very important role in public relations for the department around the county.

Today’s posse however, are much more than just for “show and tell.”

Since the adoption of the Department’s Mounted Posse Manual in September, 2009, horses and riders assigned to all seven Sheriff’s Posse Troops have completed annual qualifications.

The rigors of qualifications test even the most experienced horse and riders, ensuring that those who wear the Sheriff’s Posse badge can perform all support functions of the Sheriff, and not just those associated with public appearances.

When a commercial burglary suspect was being pursued on foot by mall security, Posse members galloped along both sides of the would-be criminal, preventing him from changing course until he finally came to a dead-end and was taken into custody by deputies assigned to bike patrol who had entered the chase.

More than $14,000 in merchandise was recovered.

At a recent public event two parolee gang members who had too much to drink started to square off and quickly found themselves being forced in opposite directions of each other by Posse members using their skills and their horses to “guide” them away from each other, stunning both into compliance.

Day in and day out, members of the various Posse Troops throughout the county serve the interests of the Sheriff and their communities in many ways.  Whether it’s patrolling Water District lands in the Banning Pass area on weekends for trespassers and vandals, patrolling the horse trails of Norco, or assisting at DUI checkpoints in Hemet, they contribute in many ways beyond just appearances at special events.

For more information on volunteering for a posse in your area, go to www.riversidesheriff.org

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Wednesday, January 18, 2012

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