Dog Squad Idukki

History

Realizing the importance, the police Dog Squad of Kerala State was first started in the year 1959 at Trivandrum for providing assistance to the detection of crime throughout the state with three Alsatian Dogs. The stables attached to the palace guards, Trivandrum was converted into Kennels, and formed the Police Dog Squad [G.O(MS) No. 424/Home Dated 23.05.1969]. Later a quarters in Trivandrum city was converted into a Kennel and the Office of the Dog squad. This formed the nucleus of the State Police Dog squad Unit Trivandrum which had a sanctioned strength of 7 dogs and a staff of 1 S.I, 1 H.C, 2 P.C's, 1 Cook-cum &ndashSweeper and 6 handlers(G.O. MS No.415/Home dated 28-02-1965). Subunits with two dogs and handlers were sanctioned in Ernakulam, Palakkad and Kozhikode districts. (G.O MS 399/Home Dated 14.10.1965 and G.O MS 280/67/HOME Dated 28.08.1967).

Use of Dogs in Police Work

The dog's active sense of smell, sight and hearing have a decisive advantage over the human agencies and are put to use for assisting the Police in a variety of investigations and search operations. Dogs could be used with substantial success in tracking the criminals after a crime has been committed and in searching premises to locate criminals. Dogs could be used for recovering articles stolen, searching of missing persons and for patrolling, Explosives and Narcotic detection and VIP and VVIP security.

Now dog squads are there in all the 14 districts with City and Rural sub units at Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Kozhikode. Department is strengthening the dog squad with more number of dogs and sub units. The handlers along with the dogs undergoes very rigorous and detailed training for 9 months. Some handlers had been trained in BSF and one person has exposure to USA Dog squad through a government programme. Department has started full fledged State Dog Training School along with Kerala Police Academy, Thrissur where the 9 months training is imparted by internal and external faculties.

Dogs with handlers

Dog Squad Idukki came in to existence in 1980 in Cheruthony Dog squad idukki is functioning under the control of Asst. Commandant Armed Police Idukki. Now the Officer in charge is Sri. Roy Thomas Asst. Sub Inspector of Police, Idukki. There were two dogs and four handlers are at the time of beginning. Now there are 7 Dogs and 14 handlers. 3 &lsquoTracker&rsquo Dog which are trained to track criminals and locate objects, other 4 are sniffer Dog which are trained to and works at using its smell sense to detect substance such as explosives, Narcotic drugs etc. In this 'sniffers' two dogs are executive sniffers trained to detect explosives and two other are Narcotic Dog which is energetic and active in detecting drugs substances such as ganja, cocaine etc.

All these 7 dogs are well trained and they proved there detecting excellence in many investigations. The handler along with the dogs undergoes very rigorous and detailed training for 9 months.