The Goodhue County Sheriff’s Posse was organized in 1976 as a volunteer organization whose primary purpose is to maintain peace, order, and law in our communities; to be public-spirited; to promote good fellowship; to cooperate with peace officers and with similar county organizations; and to promote the love of good horses. The organization sustains around 20 to 30 active members and rides and trains their own horses at many county functions.
The mounted deputies and their horses provide many unique services for the Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office and the communities they serve. They provide an additional law enforcement presence at fairs, shows, and city and county events, as well as perform in parades all through the county. From the backs of their horses, these officers can cover more distance than an officer can on foot, and the added visibility on horseback is also a significant advantage.
Horses are able to easily navigate tough terrain that would be difficult to cross by vehicle or on foot. This makes the mounted posse a huge benefit during search and rescue operations. Horses, by their size alone, provide a formidable presence of the law without any open show of force; horses are also huge crowd pleasers and attract the positive attention of both children and adults.
People who are interested in joining the posse with their horse should contact one of the board of directors.
The Goodhue County Sheriff’s Posse is a volunteer organization that requires a very large time commitment. They participate in four to six parades throughout the year and regularly patrol at many locations throughout the county. The members of the posse are also on an emergency call-out status with the Sheriff’s Office and can be activated any time the Sheriff is in need of their services.
People who are interested in applying should send an email.
The posse completes recurrent training to stay current in the areas of expertise needed by law enforcement.
This mandatory training includes…
The posse will provide this training to new members when they are accepted. Every year the posse member must qualify with any horse they plan to use at any posse-sponsored events. There are two training dates that are set and the member must attend at least one. If they wish to have a second horse certified they must train both.
The GCSP provides additional security for many of the town and county festivals around the area. In addition, we also participate in many local parades of which the members are required to ride in at least four.
