Ron Hendren (left) of Santa Paula was honored as the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Outstanding Citizen Award for his decades of volunteer service with Mounted Posse units. Sheriff Geoff Dean presented Hendren with his award at the April 16 ceremony.

Ron Hendren: Outstanding Citizen
celebrated for
VCSO Mounted Posse service

April 29, 2015
Santa Paula News

Santa Paula has another outstanding citizen to celebrate and it’s one that’s often seen on horseback: Ron Hendren who was honored by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department for his years of volunteer dedication to the agency.

Hendren was lauded at the 2nd Annual Special Recognition Awards held April 16 where he was named the Outstanding Citizen and presented with the award by Sheriff Geoff Dean.

The Outstanding Citizen Award is presented to a volunteer who assists the VCSO or the community through a nonprofit organization, for a community project, citizen event or assist at any critical incident, or any activity that leads toward the betterment of the community.”

Hendren, a native of Santa Paula and retired Limoneira Co. executive, qualified on all criteria: he is a member of the VCSO Mounted Posse and the Mounted Posse Enforcement Unit and has been in the saddle as a volunteer for almost 30 years, starting his duty in 1989.

A longtime supporter of law enforcement, years ago Hendren also arranged office space at Limoneira Co. for the VCSO agricultural crime division so they could work right in the agricultural community.

Hendren has served as the Sheriff’ Posse President and Vice President and remains on its Board of Directors. 

Hendren, who also served as a Briggs School District Trustee and on several agricultural and water district boards of directors, said volunteering with the Mounted Posse was “kind of a way to give back to the community…”

Although the Cal Poly graduated was never interested in working in law enforcement — the career choice of his two sons now with VCSO — he does in a way that is not only unusual but also little known.

The Mounted Enforcement Unit “Is a way of helping mounted officers see things and hear things. When we’re out on patrol with mounted officers we hold their horses if they have to dismount and we’re still high enough to see if anyone else is coming into the area.”

The ability to ride a horse is just the beginning of belonging to a unit: some carry firearms and all must be certified in peace officer courses, first aid and complete various other training. Members must also train monthly with their Posse Enforcement peers.

Hendren’s 20-year-old horse “Gus” is a “big quarter horse,” 15.3 hands high, girth needed to carry the 6’4” Hendren. 

When it comes to Posse duties, “Gus enjoys it also,” noted Hendren.  

Each month the training consists of formations as well as scenarios of incidents as well as crowd control.

“It works out pretty good,” said Hendren. “We run them through obstacle courses,” and teach the animals not to react to sudden movements or sounds.

“Most people don’t think a horse would spook at opening an umbrella but they do,” but with training horses can even handle fireworks.

“They get used to it,” said Hendren, “but it’s constant training…”

Aside from the Mounted Posse and Posse Enforcement units there is also a Search and Rescue Mounted Posse Unit and the three can work together, such as the missing Arcadia firefighter — later found dead — lost in the wilderness last year, a search Hendren was involved in.

Other duty can range from patrolling the Ventura County Fair and Conejo Valley Days and taking part in the Day of the Horse at the Thousand Oaks Equestrian Center to the VC Peace Officers Memorial Horseless Rider ceremony and doing demonstrations for school children throughout Ventura.

The VCSO Mounted Posse will escort wheelchair users and their pushers in the “Wheels to the Sea” hike five miles from Sycamore Canyon to the beach and the Bocce Ball Tournament at Limoneira for the developmentally disabled. 

“The Mounted Posse does a lot of public relations work like K9s, we’re looking to do a couple of dozen events each year,” that in 2014 was folded into the units’ 4,700 total volunteer hours.

Hendren estimates that he volunteers about 40 hours a month to the Mounted Posses units. 

But Hendren does much more, according to the nomination submitted for his award that noted that not only is time involved but an expense in horse ownership, training and certification. 

Hendren is a leader among Posse units coordinating details, tracks certifications of members and “is the one that all the rest of the Posse seem to turn to for information and guidance.”

His “largest continuous workload is the administration aspect to running these teams and maintaining harmony among so many professionals, which all come together to volunteer,” for the Posse.

“Ron Hendren,” noted the nomination, “is a natural leader,” and is considered the “cornerstone” and leader of the VCSO Mounted Posse who others from other agencies pay attention to and inspires those in the local organization.

Also noted for his human resources skills, Hendren’s “humility, gentle kindness and well known objectivity that allows for this effective ability to resolve issues,” that might frustrate others that try. 

Ron and his wife Shirley, herself a longtime Santa Paula High School Board Trustee, have three children; daughter Jennifer Hendren Jones and sons Jason and Darin, both VCSO sergeants.

Hendren believes it might have been his own interest in law enforcement that piqued the interest of his sons: “Oh, I think it probably did…when I worked at Limoneira I was always out at night and weekends looking for avocado thieves, mostly just driving around,” the boys also keeping a careful watch.

Now, with the Mounted Posse units, Hendren believes it is the camaraderie that he enjoys the most but “It’s the whole thing really!”

“Ron,” notes the nomination, “is a peacekeeper, mentor, motivator and leader. He is compassionate, objective and fair in his thinking and resulting actions. He is one of the kindest, most giving and gracious individuals I know…”

When it comes to the Outstanding Citizen Award Hendren displays the traits mentioned in the nomination: “I felt real privileged,” to be the honoree, and although last year he was also recognized, being the Outstanding Citizen of the Year, “Makes me real proud and honored.”





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