US mounted police units face cuts

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By Imtiaz Tyab BBC News, Washington

Horses have a "calming "effect on people, claims one officer

Several cities in the United States, struggling with increasing budget constraints caused by the recession, are looking for ways to cut costs.

One easy solution is to target the horses used by mounted police units.

Veterinary bills, stable costs and feed is seen by some officials as an expense their city can do without.

But Washington DC-based US Park Police Officer Mariea Clowers, who has worked with and trained police horses for nearly 20 years, disagrees.

"I'm very sad that they [city administrators] don't have the vision to see what they can do with a horse mounted unit. We're irreplaceable. There's a lot of places we can go with the horse that a cruiser, a motorcycle or a K9 officer just can't go."

The animals have a calming effect on people which is vital in law enforcement, Officer Clowers explains.

"We're a magnet for people. Whether they have a concern or a question, they feel so safe coming to a horse-mounted officer."

Officer Mariea Clowers: "Nothing can control a crowd like a line of horses"

But the future for mounted services in many US cities looks grim.

Baltimore, Portland, Toledo and a number of other cities are now looking at cutting the funding of their local units.

The mounted police service, which has served this city since 1873, has fallen victim to the recession Michael RossBoston Council President

Boston already has. Earlier this year its city council held a special dismantling ceremony after it scrapped its mounted police service.

Council President Michael Ross delivered a tribute at the event

"Its a sad day for the city of Boston," he said.

"The mounted police service, which has served this city since 1873, has fallen victim to the recession and our bleak fiscal situation and is being disbanded - for now. Although this is a sombre occasion it is important to recognise this unit for their dedication."

Mounted police are mainly used for crowd control. They are to be seen at a variety of events, from inaugurations to major sports fixtures, angry protests to violent riots.

In the 1980s there were around 300 mounted units across the US. Now, according to reports, there are less than 100.

Park Police Officer David Schlosser was once part of Washington DC's mounted unit, which, because it is federally funded, is not under threat.

While he thinks the service provided by the horses is invaluable, he can understand why cash-conscious city administrators, with smaller, local, budgets, are making cuts.

"Mounted police units are very, very expensive entities for police departments to run. And many police departments have to consider the local economy that they serve and cost-cutting is sometimes a necessary thing to do."

But some local residents from Boston to Baltimore have rallied to save their city's mounted police units.

Some have started online petitions, while others have launched fundraising campaigns.

But, with hundreds of thousands of dollars needed annually to keep the horses, its a tough task.

Unless there is a dramatic change in finances for a number of US cities, the future of their mounted units, which have survived for centuries, now looks more bleak than ever.