Staff Report

The Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse, a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation which raises funds for the benefit of the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office, donated new riding helmets to members of the Sheriff’s Mounted Enforcement Unit. 

The Posse was formed by local citizens to find ways to help the Sheriff’s Office improve efficiency, performance and morale by helping to fill the gap between the counties expanding law enforcement needs and constrained county budgets. The Posse routinely funds ongoing D.A.R.E. education in elementary schools, supports the Sheriff’s K9 and Mounted Enforcement Unit programs, as well as a variety of specialized equipment and training needs of the Sheriff’s Office.

The Mounted Enforcement Unit is a team comprised of Sheriff’s deputies who perform law enforcement activities from horseback. They routinely patrol at county parks, special events, directed enforcement activities and are often used for crowd control in largescale events or in times of civil unrest. 

Equipment for the Mounted Enforcement Unit is received in large part through donations or other surplus supplies. The donation of new, purpose-made riding helmets manufactured by the Super Seer Corporation, will allow mounted officers to have a single helmet that can be used for routine patrol environments, as well as crowd control and civil unrest situations. 

“Prior to this donation, team members had two helmets, one for routine patrol use, and another for crowd control situations,” Mounted Unit Commander Erik Raney said. “The new Super Seer helmets are specially designed for Law Enforcement Equestrian Units, and serve both functions.”

“We are truly grateful for the ongoing support that the Mounted Unit has received from the Posse. The entire Sheriff’s Office benefits from the Posse’s support, which in turn, allows us to improve the service we provide to our communities.”  

For more information on the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse, visit its  website at www.sbsheriffsposse.org.