Baltimore breaks ground on $2.5M police horse stable

BALTIMORE – Ground has been broken on a $2.5 million stable for the country’s oldest continuously operating mounted police unit.

The Baltimore Sun reports Baltimore and B&O Railroad Museum officials attended a ceremonial groundbreaking Tuesday.

The 130-year-old Baltimore police mounted unit consists of six horses, deployed for crowd control at 175 events last year. With one horse set to retire, the museum will donate up to $13,000 to augment the force by two horses.

For the past four decades, the unit has operated out of a former car dealership downtown. The new facility is on the museum’s 40-acre property in southwest Baltimore.

Construction is set to begin in November, and will last less than a year. The stables will be free to visit, which city officials hope will help with community relations.

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Information from: The Baltimore Sun, http://www.baltimoresun.com