SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — Texas State University is welcoming two new members to its University Police Department: horses named Duke and Lyndon.
In a news release, the university said they’d be the first Texas university with a mounted horse patrol unit as part of their police department.
The university said the plan is to fully implement the horses during the spring 2024 semester.
“Duke and Lyndon will live at Freeman Ranch, a university research facility. UPD will use the rest of the fall semester to train the horses on campus terrain to get accustomed to the university environment,” the university’s release said.
TXST said the times they’ll be patrolling will vary day to day.
“UPD plans to have a mounted patrol presence during the high traffic hours on campus between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. five days a week. Events, feeding times and other daily routines will factor into the horse patrol times,” the university said.
The release said the horses will train with and maintain crowd control, but that isn’t the main focus.
“Their main focus is to be a presence in potential higher crime areas and high traffic areas on campus to provide safety for students, staff, and faculty,” said UPD Captain Daniel Benitez. “We hope the mounted patrol will help deter the crime rate.”
Another focus is to engage with the community.
“We want to create an environment where people aren’t afraid to approach an officer for questions or for help,” Cpt. Benitez said.
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