By the end of 2011, police dogs will be taken on street patrols in Beijing, in addition to motor vehicle, motorcycle and foot patrols, Chinanews.com reports.

The decision is based on a pilot program in Beijing's Daxing that started in July 2011, in which police took the lead in taking dogs to patrol areas where the public order and security situation was complex. Altogether 110 dogs and 65 trainers were put in place. After the two-month trial, the areas' crime rate decreased by 12.6% from a year earlier.

At present, there are about 500 police dogs in Beijing Municipal Bureau of Public Security, which are used in criminal investigations, drug inspections, and anti-explosion checks. By the end of next year, the number of police dogs will reach 1,000.