Hartford’s mounted police patrol, threatened with immediate shutdown due to a lack of funding, will be around a few months longer – thanks to a donation from downtown law firm Halloran & Sage LLP and others, officials say.
Mayor Pedro E. Segarra announced Thursday the mounted patrol would remain active through at least the final day of the current fiscal year.
Segarra said the city recently received an unspecified donation from Halloran & Sage covering the unit’s funding through June 30. Plans for the patrol for the next fiscal year are to be determined, he said.
The patrol unit’s administrative sergeant told the Hartford Courant last month that it would take between $9,000 and $12,000 to keep unit running through June 30.
“The horse patrols instill confidence and make our citizens more likely to use our parks and public spaces,’’ Halloran & Sage Managing Partner William J. McGrath Jr. said in a city-issued statement.
Originally established in 1985, Hartford’s Mounted Patrol Unit consists of four officers and four horses, although recent cutbacks have limited it to three, the city said. When continued budget reductions threatened to dismantle the unit entirely, the Hartford Police Department initiated a private fundraising campaign. Several downtown businesses and civic groups responded with donations. Those other donors weren’t identified Thursday.
“We know how much everyone loves the Mounted Patrol, so I’m glad the support was there,” said Mayor Segarra. “They do provide a great service for our parks. Hopefully with continued support we can keep them active.”
