Charleston Mounted Patrol Unit returns to Lowcountry after training in Maryland

JOHNS ISLAND, S.C. (WCBD) – The Charleston Police Department welcomed back their Mounted Patrol Unit after going through extensive training out-of-state.

The horses, Watson and Holmes, and their partners spent six weeks with the Maryland-National Capital Park Police to learn new skills.

“We went over basic equitation, desensitization to obstacles for the horses, we also took a ride through Washington D.C. which was probably one of the best experiences of my entire life,” said Erica Martin, a Senior Officer with CPD’s Mounted Patrol Unit.

The Mounted Patrol Unit returned to the department in 2022 after an 11-year hiatus. The time spent in Maryland was also an opportunity for the horses to get to know their new partners, and vice versa.

“Watson’s a little bit more of like, I would describe him as like a frat boy, like he definitely is a people person, get to know people, he’s a little more sillier in personality and like that he’s much more approachable. Holmes is a little more stiff like me,” said Officer Shaun Ferguson with the Mounted Patrol Unit.

Martin and Ferguson took over the unit after their predecessor, Sergeant William Gritzuk, recently retired.

Now that the horses are done with their mounted patrol school, they will spend the next few weeks getting acclimated to Charleston again, before returning to big events.

“Some of the advantages of mounted patrol is accessibility, we can access certain areas with these guys that you can’t necessarily get a cruiser in,” Martin told News 2.

On top of their patrol duties, the horses play a vital role in bridging the gap between law enforcement and the community.

“Normally someone wouldn’t just come up and talk to me. It takes a lot. When I’m on a horse or with a horse, people are bringing their children out to show them to us,” Ferguson said. “Those are the things we need in modern law enforcement. People can see that we’re not all of what, you know, we’re often built up to be.”

Police said the horses will be back out in the community within the next few weeks.