by Kristin Kruse
It seems only natural that law enforcement agencies in Montana would have a mounted unit, and the Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office proudly announces that they currently have a three-person team in action.
Patrol Sergeant Jason Liechty, who has been with the Sheriff’s Office for 15 years, took on the project and has helped make this long time goal come to life.
“There are so many advantages to having officers on horseback, and it fits right in with the history and heritage in Montana,” stated Liechty.
The state of Montana does not require any specific certification for mounted unit officers, however Liechty, along with Patrol Corporal Thomas Hsu and Deputy Presley Chadwick, recently attended a Mounted Patrol Certification course in Jackson Hole, Wyoming that is taught by a local Law Enforcement Officer who holds a specialized training once a year at no cost. In attendance were officers from Gallatin County and Wyoming along with the group from Ravalli County. The three-day training was intense, according to Liechty.
“In addition to basic horsemanship we learned how to use our horses to move and disperse crowds, identify an instigator, isolate and detain perpetrators, effect an arrest on horseback, escort fire, ambulance or a dignitary through a crowd and clear the way for first responders to get to an injured person,” said Liechty. “The training also focused on desensitization, teaching the horses not to react to any outside distraction such as noises or other animals.”
As part of their graduation all trainees rode through the main square in Jackson Hole.
“The volume of people who flocked to us was overwhelming and that seems to be the reaction no matter where we go,” stated Liechty.
Ravalli County Sheriff Steve Holton has wanted a mounted unit for over 10 years.
“I am very excited that this has finally come to fruition, and thankful that Liechty, Chadwick and Hsu have taken this on and made it happen,” said Holton. “Horses are a great resource for crowd control and events, and are excellent for public relations.”
Liechty, Hsu and Chadwick recently provided security at the Twisted Nut Rodeo in Darby and will be on patrol at Lewis and Clark Park during Stevensville’s upcoming Creamery Picnic which takes place Aug. 2 and 3. “Being on horseback allows us to interact with the community on a much more personal level,” said Liechty. “We love our community and want to have positive experiences with people.”
The unit is off to a great start, and has a vision for the future. Ultimately they would like to own a horse trailer that can accommodate four horses, which would enable them to assist with search and rescue in areas that are difficult to get to by vehicle or on foot. There are also equipment needs that come with horses, and currently the unit is utilizing their own horses, food and trailers at no cost to the county. Liechty stated that they would like to grow the program, ideally to a total of six teams and possibly start a volunteer program.
For the time being, community members can be on the lookout for appearances by the mounted unit. Liechty encourages people to download the Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office App as they will be making regular posts about where and when they can be found, and encourage everyone to stop and say hello.
Tracy Wood says
Back in the day there was a group called “Sheriffs Posse” that always rode in the Fair Parade but I never knew what their affiliation was with the Sheriffs Department, however Dale E. Dye often rode with them so it musta been something. Its cool.