More canine power for city cops
| Date :15-May-2019 |
Dogs Squad with newly-inducted three Doberman and two already serving Labradors. (right)A trained Doberman displaying its athletic skills by crossing over an obstacle
By Shirish Borkar:
THREE highly-trained Doberman Pinscher -- Don, Shiva and Jiwa -- have been inducted in the Dog Squad of City Police recently. The squad already has two Labrador -- Rani and Diksha -- serving the Police Commissionerate. The Dog Squad headed by Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) S C Joshi and comprising two officers and 10 handlers would soon get four more trained canines shortly. These include two German Shepherds, one Labrador and one Doberman of the 181 newly sanctioned dogs to Maharashtra Police by the State Government.
One of them would be exclusively trained to detect narcotics and drugs. Similarly, two more would be inducted in Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) of the City Police. The Dog Training Centre is situated at Shivajinagar Police Head Quarters, Pune. “The Centre which is existence since 1965 under the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), conducts regular and refresher dog training courses under the leadership of Chief Dog Master under supervision of Additional Superintendent of Police. There are about 92 Dog Units at district places and Commissionerates across the state,” PSI Joshi told ‘The Hitavada’.
The trained canines following the instructions of their handlers. After successful initial training, obedience training, training for detection of explosives and narcotics and refresher training, the dogs are sent to their respective units, Joshi added. The dogs in BDDS are trained exclusively for detection of explosives whereas those in Dog Squad detect narcotics and serious crimes, including murder and dacoity. Maharashtra Police have already inducted Belgian Malinois to combat terror, guard and protect the force in Naxalite-affected areas. Belgian Malinois are considered to be one of the most courageous breeds of canines in the world. These dogs guard the US White House. They were with the team of Navy SEALs that eliminated Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.
Even the Army, National Security Guard’s (NSG) commando unit, Indo-Tibetan Border Security Force and other paramilitary forces have inducted Belgian Malinois. So far, dogs were being purchased for Maharashtra Police from outside and trained at Dog Training Centres at Pune, Tekanpur, Hyderabad and Manesar. Now, the police force in the state has decided to breed canines at a training centre coming up at Daund, near Pune. The Government has already allotted 14 acres land for the centre to be built by Maharashtra Police Housing Corporation.
New Dog House at Police Headquarters
A NEW Dog House is being constructed at Police Headquarters, Takli. It would have all necessary facilities for the trained canines of Dog Squad. An independent kitchen is also being constructed to prepare food for the police dogs. However, the proposal for a three-room office for police personnel attached to the Dog Squad is pending with the Government. When contacted, a senior police official said that the proposal is expected to be cleared shortly.