LOS ANGELES, CA – Bo is a four-legged crime fighter who has worked for the Los Angeles Police Department for 18 years. His partner, Sgt. Susan Leskera, has served the city even longer.
- Sgt. and horse both retiring
- Have been partners for a decade
- Bo will spend his retirement running free on 150 acres
“I’ve been on the force for 32 years," said Leskera.
When she joined the LAPD Mounted Unit a decade ago, the head trainer asked her if she wanted one of the horses as her own.
“This guy is awesome so this is who I chose," Leskera said while petting Bo, "and we’ve been together ever since.”
For ten years, Bo and Leskera have worked side by side, patrolling the city from a unique perspective.
“So if we see people doing drugs or something illegal, we’ve got a really good advantage point from being up to," said Leskera.
Now both the horse and sergeant are getting ready to ride off into the sunset. Bo turns 23 this April, and has a lifespan of about 30 years. As the oldest horse in the unit, he no longer goes out on search and rescue missions like he used to.
Leskera is also retiring. At 57, she still feels like she could do this forever, but adds, “I guess there comes that time, right? Everyone hands the baton off and now it’s my turn.”
As the assistant officer in charge of the unit, she knows what she will miss most about the job.
“Probably him, I think," she says motioning to Bo. "And riding him.”
Not that she’s hanging up her spurs for good. She will continue to work for the unit periodically as a reserve.
"I’ll be with him until he goes," Leskera said, referring to his next home, a 150 acre property in El Capitan. “He’s going to get to be a horse and just run free for the rest of his retired days.”
While she thinks Bo might miss all of the grooming and handling, not to mention the attention he gets as a police horse, after years in a big city, she knows he is ready for greener pastures.
"I think he’s going love it," Leskera said.
Leskera looks forward to visiting Bo often for a ride, but this time just for the joy of it.