Mounted Patrol in Danger of Being Put Out to Pasture

A group of New Castle cops are on the verge of being let go from the force.

A fundraiser is being held on Saturday to raise money to keep New Castle County's Mounted Police Patrol Unit around amidst budget cuts.

The New Castle County mounted police unit is the last remaining mounted unit in Delaware. The eight-horse unit of Clydesdales or Percherons costs about $80,000 in upkeep a year but their value cannot be measured in money.

The horses, and their riders, specialize in neighborhood and crowd control, as well as security and covering special events. In 2008, the unit wrote 2,329 traffic tickets and made 334 criminal arrests.

Yet despite their track record the cops are on the chopping block.

The community can help support the dedicated force of four-legged cops this weekend. The fundraiser will give people the chance to get a picture with one of the horses and to see their skill in person as they go through an obstacle course.

The fundraiser goes from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Carousel Park on Limestone Road in Wilmington. For more information on the fundraiser and how to donate, visit their website.

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