This week has seen the Norris Penrose Event Center transformed into a training ground for law enforcement professionals from across the western United States, with the El Paso County Sheriff's Office Mounted Unit taking on the role of host and teacher. The Mounted Instructor School, a week-long program, has welcomed representatives from sheriff's offices in Jefferson, Douglas, Custer, Adams, Larimer, and Arapahoe counties, along with members of the Denver Sheriff Department, Flathead County Sheriff's Office in Montana, and the Parker and Montrose Police Departments, according to El Paso County Sheriff's Office.
The program's focus was on improving horsemanship skills, teaching attendees new techniques, and planning for emergency response. Participants were also equipped with the knowledge and skills required to instruct others on various topics within the mounted unit, which ranged from emergency dismounting, search and rescue operations, to community engagement, and arrest tactics.
El Paso County Sheriff Joseph Roybal spoke highly of the initiative, noting, "Our Mounted Unit sets the standard in law enforcement," as per the El Paso County Sheriff's Office. He shared confidence that the attendees of the program would return to their respective agencies, ready to train new members and thus continue the legacy of mounted units. He underscored the significance of the unit in both tactical operations and forging community relations.
