Budget cuts end Atlanta's mounted police force

Posted 7:18AM on Thursday 14th March 2002 ( 23 years ago )

ATLANTA - After 30 years of riding high in the saddle, Atlanta's mounted police force has fallen victim to budget cuts. 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. ``When the last horse walks out of the barn, it's going to be eerie. It's going to be sad,'' said Sgt. Robert Bailey, who has headed the Mounted Patrol Unit for four years. At one time, he supervised 12 officers and a dozen horses. 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. ``This is a luxury we can no longer afford. This is the 21st century, after all,'' Deputy Chief Wesley Derrick said. 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. Wynnyk trains police officers how to use horses, and he has a list of cities with mounted patrols. 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. ``I always tell them, 'When the money gets tight, you're the first to go,''' Wynnyk said. Bailey expects Atlanta's stables near Grant Park to be empty within a month. 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. Nine horses will be returned to their donors. Police want to send three others to a charity for disabled children. The decision is tough on the unit's officers. For them, the horses are partners. ``I know we shouldn't feel this way, but they're more like pets to us,'' Officer Dave Johnson said.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/3/197485

Budget cuts end Atlanta&#39;s mounted police force

Budget cuts end Atlanta's mounted police force