(COLORADO SPRINGS) — On Monday, July 8 the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPSO) announced a partnership with Norris-Penrose to allow EPSO’s Mounted Unit to operate full-time.

According to EPSO, the Mounted Unit consists of 12 deputies and five horses and is the only standing unit in the Pikes Peak region. The unit is used for administrative formation, search and rescue, evidence and fugitive searches, Honor Guard presentations, patrol, crowd control, arrest, pursuits, traffic stops, vehicle escorts, and other services.

The new partnership will give the Mounted Unit increased access to the horses for its various functions. It will also allow them to train and expand their reach from Green Mountain Falls to Palmer Park and to the eastern and southern rural edges of the county.

“We are pleased to partner with the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office,” said Norris-Penrose General Manager Kyle Park. “This partnership will yield streamlined coordination between our entities on the events and training hosted year-round at our facilities and adds a consistent law enforcement presence on our property.”

While horses have been a part of EPSO’s work since 1861 the Mounted Unit was not officially designated until 1996. the Mountain Unit is designed to support any part of EPSO, primarily in rural areas where traditional patrol techniques are combined with the advantages of a horse partnership.