Cleveland has restored its horse-mounted police unit, on hiatus since city layoffs in 2004, the Cleveland Plain Dealer says. It’s part of a new plan called “clean and safe patrols,” in which 40 new workers are hitting the streets to clean sidewalks, remove graffiti, and provide assistance to downtown visitors.
While the unit was idled in 2004 because of budget cuts, the horses were still cared for by one officer and three hostlers. City Safety Director Martin Flask said maintaining the unit was costing the city about $200,000 a year. “From a budgetary perspective, spending that much money and getting nothing in return is not a good utilization of resources,” Flask said.
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