Miami Beach Considers Horseback Police Unit

Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner and Police Chief Wayne Jones are proposing the return of horseback patrols to the city police force by 2028.

The plan aims to provide officers with a tool for managing large crowds and deterring crime. Meiner presented the idea at an October commission meeting, urging that the proposal move to finance for review.

The estimated initial cost for the unit is $500,000. Meiner stated that this amount would be secured through donations. Officials have not yet decided if ongoing expenses would fall under the city budget or the police department budget. Jones asserted that first-year operating costs would not burden residents or the municipal ledger.

Commissioner David Suarez voiced strong opposition to the initiative. In a recent newsletter, he labeled the plan a vanity project for the mayor and the police department. Suarez argued that residents need tax relief following the passage of Amendment 3, rather than new expenditures, even if donor funded.

Suarez also raised practical concerns about the welfare of the horses. He questioned how the city would manage waste and whether Miami Beach heat and humidity would cause harm. He suggested these environmental factors could lead to animal abuse.

Meiner rejected the claim of cruelty. He pointed to mounted units in nearby jurisdictions and argued that horses offer a tactical advantage in crowd monitoring. Meiner described a scenario where thousands gather on Ocean Drive, noting that an officer on horseback would be positioned ten feet above the ground.

Horseback policing is currently active in the City of Miami Police, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, and Coral Gables. Miami Beach has employed mounted units in the past, using them in the 1930s until World War II interrupted service. The department also operated such units throughout the 1980s and into the early 1990s.