LANCASTER, Pa. — Note: The video is from November 5.
The three equine members of the former Lancaster Bureau of Police Mounted Unit have found a new home in New Jersey, the city's police chief said last week.
Chief Richard Mendez made the announcement at a Lancaster City Council meeting that Angus, Jake, and King, the three horses that made up the Mounted Unit, have been donated to New Jersey State Police.
Lancaster mayor Danene Sorace announced in September that the Mounted Unit was being disbanded, along with one of the city's fire stations, as part of a plan to "(enhance) efficiency and fiscal responsibility without compromising public safety."
The decision forced Lancaster Police to find a new home for its horses. The department received numerous offers, some coming from as far away as Denver and New Orleans.
Mendez said the Mounted Unit's police officers, led by Officer Scott McDonald, evaluated every offer before settling on New Jersey as the best place to send the horses.
In an interview with One United Lancaster, Sgt. Todd Grager said the Unit's priority was to find a place where the horses could continue active service and a place that would allow them to continue serving together. The New Jersey State Police offer met the criteria.
The horses themselves are donated, but New Jersey State Police will pay $25,000 for equipment including a four-horse trailer, saddles, a hayrack, and other items, the police department said. That money will go to the Lancaster City Police Foundation, which has underwritten the Mounted Unit and covered its costs during its four decades of service.
Lancaster City Council unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday to endorse the arrangement, which clears the way for the transfer to occur within days.
When the decision to disband the Mounted Unit was announced, many members of the Lancaster community urged officials to reconsider. Dozens of residents gathered to say goodbye to the horses last month when the decision became official.
Mendez said the decision, while difficult, was necessary.