Mounted police come to town in Taipei County

From now on, the mounted police will expand its patrol territory to the area between the county government building and the Xinpu Station of the mass rapid transit (MRT) network on the weekends and public holidays.

In addition to maintaining public order, the mounted police will become part of the public scenery.

To the delight and surprise of both children and adults, the mounted police officers in crisp uniform and their tall horses became the most popular company of people who like to take pictures.

Many children were thrilled by the unexpected appearance of real horses on the “malu” — the common Chinese term meaning “horse road” or “public road” used in daily life — right in front of their eyes.

Chinese call street or road as “malu” because they were first used mainly by horses or horse-drawn carts before they were replaced by motorized vehicles.

The bolder kids reached out to touch the huge animals for a rare experience.

The daily patrol hours on the “malu” are from 9 to 11 a.m. in the morning and 3 to 5 p.m. in the areas of Zhongshan Road, Minquan Road, Wenhua Road, and Xinjan Road.

Mounted police members and their horses will also make a 30-minute stop from 9:20 a.m. to 9:50 a.m. at County Citizen Plaza in the morning for people who like to take photos or pose with the horses.

They will make a similar stop at the Banqiao Station Plaza from 3:20 p.m. to 3:50 p.m. in the afternoon.

Some questioned the appropriateness for horses to patrol the main streets that are heavily used by vehicles and motorcycles.

Captain Huang Hsin-wei of the mounted police team said it is rather safe for people if they avoid standing behind the horses.

People should also avoid holding or wielding sticks or other objects like umbrellas in front of the horses, he said.

There are presently 40 male officers and 12 females on the mounted police team.

Their daily patrol territories cover the more populous districts in the county, extending from Danshui Fishermen’s Wharf, to Yinge township that is noted for ceramic art works, museums, and other tourist spots.

Mounted police have the advantage of patrolling terrain districts that are difficult for the police vehicles to comb.

With high mobility and extensive patrol routes, Huang said the mounted police can prevent people from attempting crimes.

They can also quickly notify colleagues in patrol cars to rush to crime scenes.

Huang declined to comment if the mounted police’s new patrol plan in the downtown area and promoting the horse image is related to the election of Ma Ying-jeou as the nation’s new president.

Ma’s surname means “horse” in Chinese.

To promote tourism, the Kaohsiung County Government has recently organized a mounted police team.

The Changhua County Government in central Taiwan is planning to take same action for its Lukang township, an ancient port city and a major gate for earlier Chinese immigrants to settle in Taiwan centuries ago.

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