Recently, the  Mounted Unit hosted a "Family Fun Day." The families were invited to tour the Mounted Units facilities. They also watched equestrian and canine demonstrations and learned about JSO's Aviation Unit.

(photo left:Officers Ruth A. Chapman, Casey C. Griffis, Gary L. Hayes  and Thomas S. Reinhard)

The Mounted Unit
The basic duties of the Mounted Unit are crime deterrence, community relations and crowd control.  The Mounted Unit consists of a Unit Commander (lieutenant), one sergeant, three officers, a stable manager and five police horses.
To learn more about the Mounted Unit, click here.

(Photo left: police horse Magnum and visitor)

The Canine Unit
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Canine Unit consists of a Unit Commander, two sergeants and 18 police officers.  There are currently 20 active Police Service Dogs (PSD) in the unit. The Canine Unit  conducts dozens of narcotic sniffs for public and private schools upon request. And the explosive detection dogs conduct numerous protective explosive searches for special events.
To learn more about the Canine Unit, click here.

(photo left: Police Officer Timmy Stafford and  k9  tazer)

The Aviation Unit
The primary function of the Aviation Unit is helicopter operations. Helicopter crews are on duty from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. seven days a week to support Patrol and other units as an aerial platform for; surveillance, pursuits, search and rescue, drug interdiction and criminal apprehension.

To learn more about the Aviation Unit, click here.

The Family Fun Day was a huge success, and all the visitors had an opportunity to learn more about each specialized unit.

(Photo left: Officer Ruth A.Chapman and police horse Gunslingers)

In addition to the demonstrations, other specialized units provided table top  displays. The Fraternal Order of Police served  punch and cookies. 
Parents were encouraged  to bring cameras and have their children photographed with the police horses and specialized police equipment. 

(Photo right: Police Officer Steven W. Cornellier)