Poll: Should Cops Keep Riding On Horses? Really?

Halt the presses! The Seattle Police Department's Mounted (i.e. riding horsies) Control Unit is in jeopardy, and people are freaking out.

BUT THE HORSES ARE SO NICE! So why get rid of them? Duh, because we have no money, and bicycles don't shit all over downtown.

Despite being saved by private donors (i.e. the Seattle Police Foundation) back in February, the City Council has started saying that they're not interested in private donations to keep the unit going.

Tim Burgess is like, why? Why focus on this when everything is the worst right now? This is part of an email from Burgess to the Seattle Police Foundation, obtained by the PI:

When the Police Department is fully staffed and either the original 605 officer threshold or the revised 585 threshold is met, reconstituting the Mounted Unit might be appropriate. In the meantime, my colleagues and I must still make difficult decisions in the face of economic realities, and one of these is to stay the course on our decision to disband the Mounted Unit.

Burgess isn't the easiest City Council member to agree with by a long shot, but he's definitely onto something here. Basically, yeah, your horses are cool, but policework is more important right now. Fun things like the friendly police jockey are reserved for times o' plenty. Please spend your money on more important things.

It doesn't help that most of the arguments to keep the unit seem to boil down to "... but they're cool and I like them!" Case in point: this Seattle Police Foundation video from when it was first announced that the city's horses might not have to be sat on by cops and touched by the germy hands of curious children all day.

There is another video on the Internet (formerly of not the Internet) about mounted police horses that shows a darker side:

But what do we know? You, dear readers, know everything. So take this poll and let us know what the true, appropriate reaction to cops on horses in a time of economic crisis.

What should we do with Seattle Mounted Police?

		Fuck 'em! I hate horses!
		Mounted Police are obsolete and horse poop is obnoxious. Cut the program.
		We should be prioritizing other things right now. That goes for the Seattle Police Foundation, too.
		I could not care less about this.
		Keep them because I like horses and I like seeing horses ride around and they're cool!
		Mounted police are crucial to policework. Shame on Burgess, you and this condescending article!
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