The Knoxville mounted police unit has been the talk of the town since it started making its official rounds in May 2025.
It was a long time in the making to get a mounted police unit in Knoxville. The department has long been supportive of introducing a mounted police unit to the force. Knoxville Police Department’s communications manager, Scott Erland, talks a little more about how the mounted unit started.
“Chief Paul Noel, who took over as chief in June 2022, came from a department in New Orleans that had a pretty robust mounted unit,” Erland said. “He saw the benefits of it there.”
The department purchased its first two horses in late 2024 from the Mounted Patrol International LLC in Texas. The horses and their transportation were purchased through grant funding.
The mounted police unit’s main job is to increase police visibility and to generate positive community engagement. While on horseback, it gives the officers the ability to see a long distance and be seen by the public from far away.
“For whatever reason, people are much more willing to approach an officer on horseback than an officer on a bicycle or next to their squad car,” Erland said. “It gives our folks a unique opportunity to talk to people that are downtown.”
The official training began in January 2025 and went until April 2025. This training focused on preparing the officers who applied to be on the mounted force. The horses were previously trained. All of the officers placed on the mounted force were already KPD officers. Three officers were selected to be on the force.
Three more officers were added when three more horses arrived and were about to finish training. One of the officers on the mounted unit is Officer Anjali Fahnestock, who is partnered with one of the newest horses, Cormac.
“I grew up around horses but this is my first experience really riding,” Fahnestock said. “It’s a lot to learn and you are learning alongside the horse. Everyday is a new day but it is all fun.”
Having riding experience is not a requirement to join the mounted police unit. Training took approximately 14 weeks before the officers traveled out on the streets. During the training, they learned basic horse care: saddling and riding the horse. The main focus was to build a relationship between horse and rider. Another mounted rider, Officer Jason Gardner, who rides Phyl, talks about how the two work together.
“It was obvious that me on Phyl was the best fit for the both of us,” Gardner said. “He needs stronger hands and more confidence in the saddle. Phyl also needs someone who is more in control. He is big and can get skittish on a couple things. For him to trust me and me trust him made us mesh very well.”
The first two were named Waggoner and Phyl. Waggoner was named after Officer Mike Waggoner who has been with KPD since 1974. Phyl was named after one of the captains who helped launch the mounted police unit. Waggoner has recently retired due to an injury.
The three newest horses were recently named after a naming competition was launched. The winning names are Ranger, Cormac and Summit. The name Ranger felt like a perfect fit for the black Percheron cross horse. Cormac, the black and white quarter horse and Belgian cross, was named after Cormac McCarthy. Summit, a black quarter horse and Percheron cross, was named after former legendary women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt.
The mounted police unit is part of the central district. People can find them in the Old City and Fort Sanders areas. The officers can also be seen around the downtown Market Square area.
