Mounted Unit Tactical Training
As with Mobile Field Force Training, each course is designed for the specific needs of each Mounted Unit whether volunteer, part time, or full time operation.
Sgt. Kirk Smith was a member of the Los Angeles Police Departments Mounted Unit from its inception in 1980 as a volunteer unit through its inception as a full time, fully funded operation.
LAPD’s mounted unit was disbanded in 1924 after a dispute with a city councilman, and was re-established by Chief Daryl Gates who was looking for innovative new ways to deal with large unmanageable crowds resulting from Iranian Student Demonstrations.
Once refining its crowd control tactics specific to horse and working smoothly in conjunction with ground troops, Kirk focused on the daily officer safety issues of suspect engagements. The resulting tactics were innovative and first of their kind recognizing the significant issues of Officer Safety while mounted and served to empower mounted officers to engage any level suspect.
After the 1992 Los Angeles Riots, Kirk was fortunate to meet with like-minded professionals from Santa Monica PD, Ventura Sheriffs, and San Diego PD, and was one of the founding fathers who developed the California Mounted Officers Association (CMOA), where he served on the Board of Directors and President of the Association.
Mounted Unit Courses Offered (but not limited to)
* Mounted Squad Formations, Drill, and Crowd Control
* Working with Ground Troops
* Combined squad tactics mounted and ground
* Acclimation and working together
* Use of Chemical Agents with ground troops and mounted
* Use of Less Lethal with ground and mounted
* Suspect Engagements
* Simple Detention
* Misdemeanor
* Felony
* Hot Felony Prone
* Vehicle Stops
* Deployment of Chemical Agent and Less Lethal Munitions
* Shooting from Horseback
* Bokken (Mounted Self Defense)
As with Mobile Field Force Training, each course is designed for the specific needs of each Mounted Unit whether volunteer, part time, or full time operation.
Sgt. Kirk Smith was a member of the Los Angeles Police Departments Mounted Unit from its inception in 1980 as a volunteer unit through its inception as a full time, fully funded operation.
LAPD’s mounted unit was disbanded in 1924 after a dispute with a city councilman, and was re-established by Chief Daryl Gates who was looking for innovative new ways to deal with large unmanageable crowds resulting from Iranian Student Demonstrations.
Once refining its crowd control tactics specific to horse and working smoothly in conjunction with ground troops, Kirk focused on the daily officer safety issues of suspect engagements. The resulting tactics were innovative and first of their kind recognizing the significant issues of Officer Safety while mounted and served to empower mounted officers to engage any level suspect.
After the 1992 Los Angeles Riots, Kirk was fortunate to meet with like-minded professionals from Santa Monica PD, Ventura Sheriffs, and San Diego PD, and was one of the founding fathers who developed the California Mounted Officers Association (CMOA), where he served on the Board of Directors and President of the Association.
Mounted Unit Courses Offered (but not limited to)
* Mounted Squad Formations, Drill, and Crowd Control
* Working with Ground Troops
* Combined squad tactics mounted and ground
* Acclimation and working together
* Use of Chemical Agents with ground troops and mounted
* Use of Less Lethal with ground and mounted
* Suspect Engagements
* Simple Detention
* Misdemeanor
* Felony
* Hot Felony Prone
* Vehicle Stops
* Deployment of Chemical Agent and Less Lethal Munitions
* Shooting from Horseback
* Bokken (Mounted Self Defense)