Originally formed in 1953, the Summit County Mounted Patrol is an incorporated, all-volunteer, non-profit organization that is made up of regular and special deputies as well as a civilian Auxiliary of both riding and non-riding members who assist the Summit County Sheriff's Office. While deputies are employed by the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, their services as mounted deputies are voluntary and are performed in addition to their regular duties. Our civilian Auxiliary is comprised of family members of deputies and members of the community who enjoy the opportunity to support equine police officers as well as participate in a specialized field of horsemanship with their own mounts.

Unlike many mounted police units, the horses used by Summit County’s Mounted Patrol are each privately owned by the individual members who ride them. When the work is done, the uniforms come off, and the horses return to their respective homes and to their alternate roles as family pets and companion animals. This means that each member is individually responsible for the daily care and maintenance of his mount, including: feed, hay, bedding, housing, veterinary & farrier expenses, tack, and transportation in addition to training, which is not provided by the Sheriff's Office. Individual ownership and responsibility of the horses allows the unit to operate without the need of public taxes.

The Summit County Mounted Patrol functions primarily as a official law enforcement unit but also acts an an educational and charitable representative of the Summit County Sheriff’s Office to communities in Summit County, Ohio. Deputies may report for any detail including law enforcement activities, such as: crowd control, security details, community policing, and mutual aid to other law enforcement agencies. Auxiliary members, however, are restricted to parades, educational community events, and search & rescue. Please visit our Law Enforcement page and our Education page for more information on this aspect of SCMP services.

The Summit County Mounted Patrol is a member of and holds an executive chair on board of the Buckeye State Sheriff's Mounted Association. Each year all of Summit's riding members, commissioned and civilian, are required to receive official certification from the B.S.S.M.A training board before they and their horses are permitted to appear at any public event. They are also required to appear at in-house trainings held monthly. The purpose of the certification and regular training is to ensure the safety of the horse and surrounding horses, the rider and surrounding riders, and most importantly to ensure the safety of the public. At these events the horses are exposed to strange and unusual sights, sounds, smells, and sensations that they would normally find unpleasant and worth running away from; these are also things that they would most likely encounter at any public venue. Regular training not only teaches the horses to do the job they are entrusted with, but also to have confidence in their handlers and react safely in all situations.