Miami Beach officials are proposing a horseback patrol unit for the city’s police department, with the goal of having mounted officers working large crowds by 2028. Mayor Steven Meiner and Police Chief Wayne Jones are leading the effort, which Meiner first raised at an October commission meeting. The proposal still needs to go through the city’s finance process and win commission approval, and it depends on securing funding.
Meiner said the expected initial cost is $500,000 and would come from donations. He has not decided whether ongoing costs would fall to the city or the police budget. Jones said the first year of operations would cost the city and its residents nothing. Meiner argued the program would save money and said mounted officers offer a useful tool for crowd control and community engagement, pointing to busy nights on Ocean Drive.
Commissioner David Suarez opposed the idea in a recent newsletter. He called it a vanity project and said the city should focus on tax relief after voters approved Amendment 3. Suarez also raised concerns about horse waste, the summer heat and humidity, and the welfare of the animals. Meiner dismissed the animal cruelty concern.
Several agencies already use horseback units, including the City of Miami Police, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office and Coral Gables. Miami Beach police used horses in the 1930s and again through much of the 1980s and early 1990s.
