BLOUNT COUNTY, Tenn. — The Blount County Sheriff's Office recruits all kinds of deputies. Some gallop to calls for help, four legs covering rough, rural roads.
The county's mounted patrol unit is made up of two teams — each a deputy paired with a horse. The horses' names are Chuck, who has been with the office for six years, and Buck, who has been with the office for two months. He is the newest addition. They were paired with deputies Marshall Davis and Elizabeth Best.
"We're the only agency in East Tennessee that has a mounted unit," said Davis. "It's something that people aren't used to seeing every day, so it's definitely a positive thing."
Agencies across the area have dropped mounted units over time, but deputies in Blount County said the hooves are invaluable. Best said they can navigate mountainous terrain and rural roads far easier than vehicles or by walking.
"We use him for different things, like search and rescue," said Best. "No offense to the guys on the ground, but we're up a whole lot higher. So, we can see a whole lot farther."
On search and rescue missions, deputies may look for lost hikers or other missing people. Chuck is a master navigator, but Buck is still learning the ropes said his handler, Davis.
"It was kind of a rush to get him and get him settled down here, and get ready to go to school," said Davis. "There's a lot of stuff he hadn't been exposed to, but we can ask for a better fit for the department while we do."
In March, Davis and Buck attended annual mounted patrol training to learn strategies on crowd control, search and rescue, and also how to arrest people on horseback. The mounted units help with community patrol and have also helped in drug busts.
"When we go anywhere, people just love it," said Best.