Mounted Patrol Cut

BOSTON (AP) - The clip-clop of police horses will no longer heard on Boston streets.

The nation's first Mounted Unit will be disbanded Tuesday because of budget cuts, its 12 horses given new homes - at least
until the city can come up with funds to restore the unit.

Five horses will be leased to the New York City Police Department, four are going to the Plymouth County Sheriff's Office
and three are being returned to their former owners. The 10 officers assigned to the unit will be redeployed to other districts
in the city.

Police Commissioner Ed Davis told the Boston City Council he had to choose between animals and people in the budget, and chose to
keep people.

The Mounted Unit dates to 1873 and was a familiar sight in crowd control situations.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)