Effort underway to bring back Boston’s mounted police unit
Boston-area business leaders are working to raise funds to bring back Boston’s mounted police unit, The Boston Globe reports.
Car magnate Herb Chambers told the Globe that when he asked Boston Police Commissioner William Evans in May what he could do to help the department, Evans mentioned restoring the mounted unit. Chambers is willing to donate $100,000 to the effort, according to the Globe.
Evans told the newspaper four to six horses would be needed at least, and the cost to revive the unit has been estimated at $1.5 million, the Globe reports.
While previous efforts to bring back mounted police in the city have been unsuccessful, Evans told the Globe he hopes this time the combination of corporate support with city funding will work.
“I wouldn’t mind seeing if we could get them in play for next spring or summertime,” he said.
Boston’s mounted unit, which started in 1873, was disbanded in 2009 by former mayor Thomas Menino to save $600,000 during a budget crunch. In addition to being uniquely positioned to help with patrols and crowd control, the mounted officers were good for public relations, according to the Globe.
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