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Folsom Police Mounted Patrol Rides On, Saved by Grace
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| Click picture to view video. |
(February
1, 2010) It seems no one can escape the hard choices state legislators are forced to make as this economic downturn continues
on. Schools, state parks, and state workers have all been affected by budget cuts, and now these recent
and unlikely victims have been added to the list...the Mounted Police Units that protect our streets.
Take the San Diego Police Force, for
example. In December of 2009, the department shut down its Mounted Patrol Unit to save $273,000 in annual costs to run the
unit. Now, in an effort to help close the county’s $179 million dollar budget gap, the entire seven-horse
unit is being put up for auction online - a sad retirement for these loyal work animals.
Not so for a local
Police Unit located outside of Sacramento. Thanks to a unique partnership with a non-profit equine rescue
group called The Grace Foundation of Northern California, the Folsom Mounted Patrol Unit is four horses strong and still growing.
Three years ago,
Grace Foundation Director Beth DeCaprio and Police Sergeant and Folsom Mounted Patrol Supervisor Dirk Regan had an idea to
join forces. The Grace Foundation would care for the police horses at no charge. In
exchange, the Mounted Police Unit would be incorporated into Grace's educational programs, presentations and special events
at the ranch, where more than 6,000 children visit each year.
Many of the children come from abuse and neglect and have never met police
in a positive way. “Horses draw the children’s attention, and when their attention is focused they are more open
to hearing what the officer has to say and more interested in developing a relationship with the officer because of the horse,”
says Grace Family Therapist and Program Director, Julie McBride. “After a day with the police, the children’s
image that they previously had towards the police has changed with potentially lifetime effects,” Julie adds.
Besides working with
the at-risk youth at the ranch, the police teach a segment for Grace’s Life Science field trips that are offered year
round to grades 1 through 8. To engage the audience, their topic contains a section detailing the difference
between horse manure and human poop, and explaining why it’s ok for horse droppings to be on the road, but not a human’s.
“Hands down, it’s the most popular part of the camp,” laughs Beth DeCaprio.
“Our relationship
with the Folsom Mounted Patrol benefits everyone involved; the horses, the police, and most importantly, our children and
community,” says Ms. DeCaprio. “Our goal at Grace is to teach that everyone has a purpose in
life, including our animals. In fact, two of the horses that now serve on the Mounted Unit force were initially rescued and
rehabilitated at the Grace Foundation. It is a lesson that is not lost on the 100 or so special needs children
that participate in therapeutic riding at the ranch.”
Sergeant Dirk Regan of the Folsom Mounted Patrol is concerned for the communities
that are losing their mounted units. “Horses offer a high visibility method for crime prevention,”
says Sergeant Regan. “They can travel into areas where cars simply cannot go.” From the community
relationship side says Regan, “Horses are universally irresistible even if police officers aren’t.”
The Grace Foundation of Northern California is a non-profit organization that is largely dependent
on private donations. If you would like to make a donation, please click the "Donate" button.
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