Newport Beach police welcome Poncho, the department’s newest equine officer

Newport Beach welcomed its newest equine crime fighter last month, thanks in part to the charitable work of the Newport Beach Police Foundation.

Poncho is a 7-year-old dark bay quarter horse, foundation officials said in a social media post on Oct. 12. He was purchased by the department thanks to fundraising and donations from the public.

He has previous experience as a police mount with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. Poncho became available for acquisition after his previous handler retired. Photos shared by the foundation showed him decked out in a saddle embroidered with markings of the Newport Beach Police Department and a brand-new badge incorporated into its reigns.

The department’s newest four-legged member will team up with Newport Beach Police Officer Nate Farris, and together they’ll work with their partners, Officer Isaac Furnari and police horse Clyde. Their duties will include patrols, crowd control and community outreach at parades and other public events. Farris previously served as a police officer in San Diego and has been with the Newport Beach Police Department since 2022.

Newport Beach’s horses and riders are part of the Orange County Mounted Equine Unit, a special detail made up of human and animal officers as well as volunteers from multiple law enforcement agencies in the region. The horses are individually owned and cared for by and at the expense of their human companions.

Poncho takes the place of Bullseye, an NPBD horse who recently died, police announced in a statement on Sept. 18. Bullseye had joined the department in 2017 and was was a recurring presence at community functions. He retired shortly after participating in the 2024 Rose Parade and spent his final days in a large pasture with other horses.

“Those who had the pleasure of meeting Bullseye were often greeted with his big head in search of food or treats,” police said in a statement.