Budget cuts end Atlanta's mounted police force

ATLANTA - After 30 years of riding high in the saddle, Atlanta&#39;s mounted police force has fallen victim to budget cuts. <br> <br> On Wednesday, the three remaining mounted officers began new duties as part of a plan to have more police available to respond to 911 calls. <br> <br> ``When the last horse walks out of the barn, it&#39;s going to be eerie. It&#39;s going to be sad,&#39;&#39; said Sgt. Robert Bailey, who has headed the Mounted Patrol Unit for four years. <br> <br> At one time, he supervised 12 officers and a dozen horses. <br> <br> Now, tax increases, layoffs and budget cuts confront a city with an $82 million budget deficit. The mounted patrol costs taxpayers $350,000 a year. <br> <br> ``This is a luxury we can no longer afford. This is the 21st century, after all,&#39;&#39; Deputy Chief Wesley Derrick said. <br> <br> Sgt. Alex Wynnyk of the U.S. Park Police, which has 60 horses in Washington, said Atlanta is going against a trend for large cities. <br> <br> Wynnyk trains police officers how to use horses, and he has a list of cities with mounted patrols. <br> <br> Chicago, New York and Nashville are expanding theirs, Wynnyk said, and the Washington police plans to start one. But he knows the patrols can be targets for budget cuts. <br> <br> ``I always tell them, &#39;When the money gets tight, you&#39;re the first to go,&#39;&#39;&#39; Wynnyk said. <br> <br> Bailey expects Atlanta&#39;s stables near Grant Park to be empty within a month. <br> <br> The city will sell the saddles and horse trailers, and the stables will be turned into a training area for drug- and bomb-sniffing dogs, Derrick said. <br> <br> Nine horses will be returned to their donors. Police want to send three others to a charity for disabled children. <br> <br> The decision is tough on the unit&#39;s officers. For them, the horses are partners. <br> <br> ``I know we shouldn&#39;t feel this way, but they&#39;re more like pets to us,&#39;&#39; Officer Dave Johnson said.