Inside the traing base

The horse stable

The Dalian Public Security Bureau (DPSB) released information about the city's Mounted Policewomen Unit concerning its establishment, development, functions, and horse care costs, the Beijing News reports.

The release is a response to a debate on whether it is worthwhile to spend a lot of money on the Mounted Policewomen Unit, which was recently triggered after a former Dalian police officer said running the unit was a waste of taxpayers' money.

The Mounted Policewomen Unit of the DPSB Patrolmen Division has 65 mounted policewomen, 100 horses, 23 motorcycles, four trailers for horse transport, four office cars and 1 truck.

It was established in December 1994, originally with male police. Eight policewomen joined in 1996. The unit began to recruit policewoman in 1998, and has enrolled seven groups so far. The Mounted Police Unit merged with the policewomen unit of the DPSB in 1999.

The Mounted Policewomen Unit training base covers an area of about 30 thousand square meters. All police horses are thoroughbreds from The Hong Kong Jockey Club through a grant. The Hong Kong Jockey Club has donated a total of six batches of more than 100 retired race horses.

The statistics from the DPSB shows that maintaining expenses for each horse is 2,500 yuan (408 US dollars) per month, 80 yuan per day (13 US dollars) including feed, protection supplies, medicine and other necessities.

The costs of Mounted Policewomen Unit are subject to examination and approval from the police authority every year, the report says.