Philly Reinstating Some Laid-Off Police Horses From NJ
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Some Newark, NJ police horses, being laid off from their jobs in North Jersey, are expected to continue their careers as the Philadelphia Police Department revives its mounted patrol unit.
The Standardbred Retirement Foundation in Mercer County, NJ usually finds new homes for racehorses that are injured or too slow. But word that Newark was eliminating its mounted patrol unit came at the same time that Philadelphia was reviving its unit, disbanded in 2004.
Enter the Foundation's adoption coordinator, Jen Nagle, who is helping to place four of Newark's horses in Philadelphia.
"Generally, we don't have police horses," Nagle told KYW Newsradio on Tuesday. "And so it worked out that way that we have horses that have already been around streets and buses and loud crowds."
Philadelphia police Lieutenant Ray Evers says the horses will arrive here in the next few days to be stabled and trained.
"Newark's loss is definitely our gain here. They'll have great homes in Philadelphia," Lt. Evers said.
Evers says depending on how fundraising goes, the Philly police department expects to launch at least a limited version of its new mounted unit by early fall.
Reported by Mike DeNardo, KYW Newsradio 1060.
