The Mounted Patrol Unit falls under the command of the Special Operations Division. Mounted Patrol horses are highly visible and are very well received by the public. The unit was created in 2001 and currently has three police horses. The Polo Club of Atlanta has sponsored the Mounted Patrol Unit since its inception, providing stalls for Mounted Patrol horses at no cost to taxpayers.

The Mounted Patrol Unit patrols Army Corps of Engineers parks during the summer months and has proven to be very effective during large volume attendee holidays. The Mounted Patrol Unit also patrols shopping centers throughout the county during the holiday shopping season.
The Mounted Patrol Unit is a valuable asset to the community for several reasons, including the following:
- Crowd Control – The expertise of a mounted unit deputy in crowd control is renowned. The deputies are used at parades, demonstrations and other events that take place throughout the year. It has been estimated that one mounted deputy on horseback has the effect of ten officers on foot.
- Crime Control – A mounted deputy can be seen for blocks, presenting a greater crime deterrent; every mounted deputy is 10 feet tall. Being on horseback enables a mounted deputy to see at greater distances as well as over privacy fences and other tall barriers. Mounted deputies are also able to ride on horseback into areas where a patrol car cannot go.
- Search & Rescue – The deputies and horses are trained for search and rescue. A mounted deputy can carry ample supplies and remain searching for long periods of time.
- Community Policing – Horses dissolve barriers and increase personal contact between the public and deputies. Seldom is public attention so magnetically drawn to law enforcement as it is to a deputy on horseback.
To contact the Mounted Patrol Unit, call Sergeant Eric Silveus at 770-205-4544 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .