Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner and Police Chief Wayne Jones want officers on horseback patrolling Ocean Drive by 2028.

The proposal landed before the city's Finance and Economic Resiliency Committee (FERC) on Oct. 28 as New Business 9, first reported by WSVN. Commissioner David Suarez is already pushing back hard.

"We can't be supporting vanity projects for the police and the mayor on mounted police patrols in Miami Beach," Suarez said, according to WSVN. "It certainly seems like a vanity project."

What the plan costs

Meiner told WSVN the expected initial cost of $500,000 would come from donations. The official police department presentation to the committee, though, put the total initial investment lower, at $409,000 to $478,300. That includes four horses, five pickup trucks, two trailers, riding equipment and a stable attendant's first-year salary.

Jones pitched the first year as free to taxpayers. "What if I told you, for the first year operating cost, it would cost the City of Miami Beach, and the people of Miami Beach, absolutely zero," Jones said, according to WSVN.

The city administration's committee memo struck a more cautious tone. It flagged that property taxes generate 60% of the city's General Fund revenue and that the city is already projecting a General Fund deficit for fiscal year 2028. The memo noted that Florida's Amendment 3, which passed on Nov. 3, would further strain revenues.

If the committee recommends funding the unit, the administration said it should be considered as part of the FY 2028 budget process.

Suarez raises welfare, cost concerns

Suarez criticized the proposal in a recent newsletter, WSVN reported. Beyond cost, he raised animal welfare questions.

"Can you imagine the cleanliness issue that we're gonna have?" Suarez said, according to WSVN. "Horse crap everywhere? And it's really hot in Miami Beach. The humidity's extremely high, it seems like it's gonna be animal abuse for these horses."

Meiner brushed off those concerns, saying "there's no animal cruelty here," according to WSVN.

The city administration's memo acknowledged that horses can experience heat stress in warmer climates and that extreme heat can limit deployment or make it unsafe. It said dedicated welfare policies and handler education could address animal well-being concerns.

The pitch: crowd control on Ocean Drive

Meiner framed the unit as a crowd-management tool. "Picture large crowds. You have thousands of people on Ocean Drive, for example. Now you have an officer 10 feet high in the air," he said, according to WSVN.

The police department's presentation outlined a ten-year phased rollout. The first three years would house horses at Tropical Park's equestrian center in Miami-Dade County through a partnership agreement. Years four and five would involve building a permanent facility in Miami Beach. The unit would start with one sergeant, four mounted officers and one stable attendant.

The City of Miami Police Department, the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office and Coral Gables already operate horseback units, according to WSVN.

Not the first time

Miami Beach had mounted officers before. The department established its first unit on Dec. 16, 1938, with three officers and three horses patrolling Lincoln Road, Washington Avenue, Ocean Drive and Collins Avenue, according to city records. That unit disbanded in 1942 because of World War II. A second unit launched in 1979 and ran until Oct. 1, 1992, when it was cut for budget reasons.

The city administration's memo also noted that the Black Affairs Advisory Committee has passed motions opposing the use of mounted patrol or K-9 units during high-impact periods.

Meiner first requested the feasibility study at the Feb. 5 City Commission meeting. The committee's action on the Oct. 28 agenda item has not been confirmed in available records.