Mounted police units in San Diego, Tulsa, Camden, and Boston have been hit hard by budget cuts.
Napoleon, a 10-year equine veteran of Charleston, S.C.,'s police department, was recently put out to pasture, literally, with five other police horses.
Supporters of mounted patrols say they are valuable for controlling crowds and for community policing. They say one mounted officer can be as effective as 10 officers on foot because he is highly visible, which can deter crime.
Others argue that times have changed and other means of policing have replaced the work of police horses, like policing by bicycle or electric scooters that look like Segways.
Police departments looking to save money contend that these methods cost less than housing, feeding and caring for their equine employees.
We're sure this is a disappointment to the horse's human partners who know they look much cooler on a horse than a Segway.