A special member of the Kingston police force is in need of some help in order to carry on her service next year.
Murney, the force’s police horse, will need fundraising to continue serving the public after her duties were cut from the police budget for the 2021 year to allow the hiring of 10 additional officers.
Last year, when the community got wind of the news, they lobbied to keep the mounted unit operational with publicly assisted fundraising.
But the pandemic hit shortly after 2021 budget deliberations, which made it difficult to raise money, resulting in only $5,000 raised for Murney’s operations this year.
This led to some creative money shuffling by the police department to ensure Murney’s position in 2021.
The total cost to run the mounted unit for a year totals approximately $35,000, which includes boarding, feed, vet services and training for both Murney and her backup horse, Donovan.
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That $5,000 raised by the community for this year’s operations cut the costs down to $30,000, leaving a very significant shortfall.
Kingston police then decided to supplement Murney’s costs with the proceeds from the 2020 police auction, which covers about 70 per cent, and then to absorb the remaining cost into the 2021 budget.
This funding reallocation will allow Murney and her mounted officer Const. Sarah Groenewegen to serve the city for the entirety of 2021.
But now, the question is how Kingston police will pay for 2022.
“Sarah and Murney are much more than ambassadors for the Kingston police, as they also perform enforcement duties, and are present in areas that require extra patrol,” says Const. Ash Gutheinz, media relations officer for Kingston police.
“We are exploring an additional connection with those most vulnerable in the downtown and the Integrated Care Hub, for additional outreach and to build bridges and connections.”
Kingston police say they will receive some assistance from the Downtown Kingston BIA for the next year’s fundraising campaign.
“Our goal was to set up the back end of a potential fundraising campaign to make it easier for Kingstonians to donate to the cause, should they wish to do so,” says Rob Tamblyn, development manager for Downtown Kingston BIA.
“What we’re really hoping for is that we have more of a grassroots, community-wide effort.”
Fundraising events will be announced within the next few weeks, and expect to run through to the end of March. Kingston police say that if not enough funds are raised, then the mounted unit will not be continued next year.
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