By Cindy Schroeder
The Cincinnati Enquirer

INDEPENDENCE - The last horse in the Independence Police Department's mounted patrol has been put out to pasture.

Rascal will spend his remaining days on Potter's Ranch near the little Boone County river town of Rabbit Hash.

Independence officials officially ended the mounted patrol last week when they declared Rascal surplus property. For all intents, the mounted patrol disbanded about a year ago, when a second quarter horse, Chief, died, and grants that helped subsidize the program ran out.

Police Lt. Ed Bailey purchased the horse for $1 to save him from an uncertain fate. As Rascal's handler, Bailey figures he has invested about $1,100 in the animal's feed, shoes, vet bills and other expenses.

In addition to patrolling streets, Bailey and his four-legged partner marched in parades, appeared at police-sponsored events like National Night Out, Back the Blue and the Citizens Police Academy.

"When you're on horseback, it's a great way to get people to approach you," Bailey said. "First the children come up to you, then their parents. Everyone loves to pet a horse."

During his heyday, Rascal served as the riderless horse at the 2002 Northern Kentucky Police Memorial Service. The quarter horse also helped police hunt for missing children and search for marijuana, Bailey said.

The Independence Police Department started its mounted patrol in 1999 with a four-year, $3,000 Community Crime Prevention grant plus $1,200 in funds seized in drug cases and $2,800 in other donations. The money paid for saddles, officers' uniforms and overtime for horse care.

"For the first couple of years, the (mounted patrol) was free,' " said Police Chief Shawn Butler. "But when it got to the point where it was going to cost the city money, we couldn't justify it."

These days, Bailey rides Rascal every Tuesday night at the horse's new home in Boone County.

"Potter's Ranch is not in the business of boarding horses for outside people," Bailey said. "But they made an exception for Rascal. With this arrangement, I win, Rascal wins, and the city wins."

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E-mail cschroeder@enquirer.com