With the Kentucky Derby still fresh in the minds of equine fans – and those of whom profited from the race’s gambling allure – perhaps it’s the perfect time for the Boston City Council to consider adding a few extra pairs of hooves to the Boston Police Department. That’s right. Cue the Justin Timberlake instrumentals: Boston may be bringing horse cops back.

Boston City Councilor Stephen Murphy will be filing an order to host a hearing to discuss reinstating the Mounted Police Unit. According to Councilor Murphy’s filing, the BPD disbanded the Mounted Unit in 2009, though the Boston Parks and Recreation Department still maintains the Boston Park Ranger Mounted Unit.

In 2009, WBUR wrote that Boston’s city budget at the time was unable to accommodate the BPD unit and 10 officers were re-assigned to various positions throughout the department. Five of the horses were sent southward to New York City to aid in crime stopping efforts as they were no longer needed here in Boston.

As noted in Equine Journal, 2,600 signatures were gathered in a petition to cease the unit, which was established in 1873, from dissolving. Unfortunately, though, their cries fell on deaf ears.

“While this is a difficult day, it will not be the last we hear from this unit,” said then-City Councilor Mike Ross. “I start today, in my quest to bring the mounted unit back to their home in Boston, and I hope that you will join with me.”

One of the horses, Jasper, was even the subject of his own blog. The last entry, dated January 2010, recorded that Jasper attended the Florida State Fair Mounted Patrol Training Seminar and traveled to St. Petersburg. Not the most thrilling narrative, I realize.

BostInno reached out directly to Councilor Murphy’s office to find out why he thinks the time is now to reinstate the unit and if the city’s budget is able to entertain its expenses, but nobody was immediately available for comment.