POSSE NEEDS MEN, WOMEN, HORSES PAY IS NIL, BUT THERE ARE OTHER NONMONETARY REWARDS FOR THOSE WHO LIKE TO HELP.

Byline: Amy Raisin Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - The Sheriff's Department is gettin' the word out to horse folk about joining its mounted posse, but equines on the skittish side need not apply.

Before one can saddle up as a mounted volunteer to help the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department with crowd control, remote searches and other duties, the rider must pass an extensive background check.

Then come the loud fire crackers, noisy helicopter landings and off-duty deputies posing as an unruly crowd - all elements of mandatory training designed to weed out horses who spook easily.

``In training there's flares on the ground, firecrackers going off around you,'' said Diane Short, a reserve deputy who serves with the Region One Posse North, a team that works with the Santa Clarita Valley and Lost Hills sheriff's stations.

``We have to go through sensory walks where things are hanging and flying in the wind. The horses are skittish at first, but then the training gets harder on the rider,'' she said.

A show horse trainer by trade, Short joined the posse five years ago and has been called to search for missing persons and helps with crowd control during busy summer weekends at Zuma Beach and at Santa Clarita's annual Cowboy Poetry and Music Festival.

Sgt. Steve Jenkins is the reserve coordinator at the Santa Clarita station and rides his gelding, Cherokee, with the posse. There are eight reserve deputies and 15 civilian volunteers in the posse, each of whom must have their own horse and transportation to serve.

``The job of the volunteers is to be the eyes and ears for the department, to let us know what's going on out in a crowd,'' Jenkins said. ``These are people who are willing to give up their time to help find lost people and assist law enforcement for no pay.''

In addition to passing a background check and completing a rigorous 40- hour training program, mounted patrol members must put in an average of 20 hours a month of service and training - which includes parades, festivals and patrolling the Valencia Town Center Mall parking lots from Thanksgiving to Christmas.

Laura Hauser became a posse volunteer four years ago and is now attending the Sheriff's Academy to become a reserve deputy. A member of Santa Clarita's Parks and Recreation Commission, the Canyon Country resident said serving on the posse is a great way to combine community service with a passion for horses.

``I never imagined I'd join the academy to become a reserve deputy, but once you get involved a lot of people want to take it that extra step,'' Hauser said. ``There's something very different about being on a horse than in a patrol car.

``How often do kids come running up to a squad car? But up there on a horse and in uniform, it just draws people to you.''

There are three arms of the local reserve program: mounted posse, mountain rescue and uniform reserves. Jenkins said the program's 40 reserves and 18 volunteers put in an estimated 18,000 hours in a year - the equivalent of about 11 full-time deputies that saves the department more than $1 million a year.

While the job may sound glamorous, Hauser keeps it all in perspective.

``It's definitely a commitment,'' she said. ``It's an honor to serve in this organization and to serve your community in such a special way. But you have to be sure you have the time to really be dedicated.

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

The Sheriff's Department is looking for people who are willing to be part of the agency's mounted posse.