LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – Anyone who travels to Boulder City will get a glimpse of the last of its kind in Southern Nevada; a mounted police unit.
The Boulder City RCMP, founded in 2016, patrols the streets every day, reducing crime and connecting with the community.
“We have to make sure everything is ready,” said Mounted Officer Scott Pastore. “As any city does.”
Officer Pastore and his horse, Bandit, are the eyes and ears of the law, also known as the equalizer.
They lead the Boulder City Mounted Police Unit, which is the last of its kind in southern Nevada.
“I always wanted to be a mounted officer,” Officer Pastore told 8 News Now. “I’ve had horses my whole life and grew up with them on and off.”
Officer Pastore founded the unit eight years ago and it has since grown into a strong team of officers, volunteers and even an animal control officer.
The group regularly tours the streets of downtown Boulder City.
“We will do a tour of approximately two hours and give the horses a rest,” explained Officer Pastore. “And then we’ll do another two-hour tour.”
8 News Now took one of those tours with them, as they talked about the Three C’s: Crime, Community and Crowd.
Crime is a major focus for mounted officers as they work every day to respond to calls, i.e. making traffic stops or arrests.
In some cases, the team heads into the wilderness to help the homeless or respond to other immediate problems.
“If there are calls in this area, we have partners,” Officer Pastore said. “And if I need to get off the horse to take a call, my horse hands it over to my partner.”
The community loves the work of the Mounted Unit, and families flock to it to regularly take photographs of the horses and learn more about how they operate.
“They love seeing it, a lot of people will see the horses frequently,” Officer Pastore said. “And then there are people from out of town who have never seen it before.”
However, the horses really show off their crowd control skills.
“There are many practical uses for the horse,” Officer Pastore said. “There are so many things we can do.”
Whether it’s an event in Boulder City or assisting the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department with Life is Beautiful, Electric Daisy Carnival or even New Year’s Eve on the Las Vegas Strip, the Mounted Unit works hard to keep the peace and control large groups. from the people.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department also had a mounted police unit, but it was disbanded in 2020 due to pandemic-related budget cuts.
The team tells 8 News Now they also make sure their equine companions are ready and comfortable.
“Noises, motorcycles, fireworks, someone screaming,” Officer Pastore said, speaking of his desensitization. “We take them to the range a lot, we try to throw everything we can at them and make it a game.”
Officer Pastore told 8 News Now every effort is made to continue making a unique impact in the days and years to come.
The Mounted Unit is funded by the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization Friends of The Boulder City.
The horses are owned and cared for by officers and volunteers.
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