By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- The Sacramento Police Department disbanded its Mounted Unit on July 1, concluding nearly 28 years of daily patrols in downtown and Old Sacramento, as the city addressed a $66 million budget shortfall.
- The unit operated with two officers and one sergeant managing three horses—Hoss, Babs, and Thor—and the city cited elimination of the specialized unit as a budgetary necessity rather than a public safety requirement.
- Budget cuts eliminated five positions in the mounted unit and associated civilian roles; the city saved approximately $918,000 along with ongoing costs for equine farrier and veterinary services.
- Officers and supervisors stated that the primary loss from the unit’s decommissioning will be community engagement and approachability rather than reduction in public safety, citing the effectiveness of mounted officers in building relationships with downtown residents and businesses.
- The three horses were purchased by officers to live out semi-retirement; Thor will accompany Officer Matthew Jones, who spent 10 years with the mounted unit, as Jones continues to provide mounted training to units throughout the southwest United States.
SACRAMENTO, CALIF. — The Sacramento Police Department disbanded its Mounted Unit on July 1 as the city navigated a $66 million budget shortfall by eliminating vacant positions, issuing workforce reductions, and cutting departmental spending.
The mounted patrol team operated out of a facility on Front Street and served the downtown and Old Sacramento areas since 1998. The unit consisted of two mounted officers and one sergeant responsible for daily horse patrols throughout the downtown commercial district and the Old Sacramento waterfront historic area.
Sgt. Jason Duink characterized the impact of the unit’s decommissioning as primarily affecting community engagement rather than public safety capability. “An officer on horseback is very easy to approach. People from all walks of life, all the visitors, they’re instantly drawn to the horse. There are certain segments of society that probably would rather not talk to a police officer, except for one on a horse,” Duink stated.
Police spokesperson Officer Allison Smith stated that the city is prepared to maintain patrol presence in downtown areas through advancing technology and modified staffing strategies, noting that cameras and alternative patrol methods will supplement the loss of mounted presence.
The unit operated with three horses: Hoss, Babs, and Thor. Officer Matthew Jones, who served with the unit for 10 years, became emotional while recounting his final day of patrol on June 30. Jones stated that he initially joined the Sacramento Police Department specifically to serve in the mounted unit.
The three horses were purchased by individual officers following the unit’s decommissioning. Thor was purchased by Jones and will be transported to Jones’ private residence where he resides among seven other horses owned by the officer’s family. Jones plans to continue offering mounted unit training to police departments throughout the southwest United States, with Thor accompanying him in a specialized equine trailer.
The mounted unit facility, which features holding pens, a training arena, and a barn named after longtime mounted officer Billy Lyons, will remain in operation though without an equine presence. The facility houses a memorial honoring past police horses and former Officer Tara O’Sullivan, who was killed while responding to a domestic violence call in 2019.
Budget documents indicate the elimination of the five mounted unit positions saved the city $918,000. The city will also realize savings from discontinuing farrier services for equine hoof care and veterinary services for the animals.
The Sacramento Police Department’s overall budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year totals $253 million, representing a $3 million decrease from the previous year but nearly double the budget from ten years prior.