Miami Beach Weighs Horseback Patrol Unit
Mayor Steven Meiner proposes mounted officers to patrol large crowds by 2028, a plan one commissioner calls a vanity project.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Law Enforcement
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Should Miami Beach fund a horseback police patrol unit instead of cutting taxes?
Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner has proposed adding a horseback patrol unit to the city's police department, with Police Chief Wayne Jones supporting the plan. Commissioner David Suarez publicly criticized the proposal in a newsletter.
Why it matters
The proposal would bring mounted policing back to Miami Beach, which the city says would help deter crime and manage crowds in busy areas. Opponents question whether the spending is justified, and the funding source remains undecided.
The proposal was raised at an October commission meeting and is set to be heard in the finance committee before going to the full commission. The $500,000 initial cost is expected to come from donations, but the city or police budget has not been named as a source.
The players
Steven Meiner
Mayor of Miami Beach, who proposed the horseback patrol unit and argues it would deter crime and save money.
Wayne Jones
Police Chief of Miami Beach, who supports the mounted patrol proposal and says it would carry no first-year operating cost for the city.
David Suarez
Miami Beach city commissioner, who publicly opposed the horseback unit as a vanity project in a newsletter.
The details
Mayor Meiner says the unit would focus on deterring crime and engaging the community, while Chief Jones argues first-year operating costs would be zero to the city and residents. Suarez countered that the project was a vanity effort and pointed to the recently passed Amendment 3 as a reason to question new spending.
Timeline
- Miami Beach police used horses in the 1930s before discontinuing them during World War II.
- Miami Beach police maintained horseback units through much of the 1980s and early 1990s.
- In October 2026, Mayor Meiner raised the horseback patrol proposal at a commission meeting.
- Mounted officers are targeted to patrol large crowds by 2028, if funding is secured.
Legal Context
Miami Beach's police used horses in the 1930s and kept horseback units into the early 1990s before those units ended. Neighboring agencies, including the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office and the Coral Gables police, still run mounted units today.
If approved, mounted officers would patrol large crowds in busy areas such as Ocean Drive, changing how police presence is felt on those streets. Residents would see the unit only if the city secures funding and the department follows through on the 2028 timeline.
The takeaway
Proposals like this one depend on where the money comes from, so residents should watch how the donation and budget questions are resolved before the finance committee vote.
What happens next
The proposal is set to be heard in the finance committee before going to the full commission, and the funding source has yet to be determined.
Further reading
For more on how local agencies handle policing decisions, see Law Enforcement coverage in Miami Beach.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale.
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Should Miami Beach fund a horseback police patrol unit instead of cutting taxes?
