Delhi Police to deploy dog squad across all ranges in capital

The Delhi Police’s dog squad currently has 64 trained dogs — German shepherds, Labradors, Belgian Shepherds and Golden Retrievers. Out of the 64, 49 dogs are experts in explosive detection and 13 are tracker dogs. They will soon be sent to different police stations to help local police in conducting market checks and investigative work.

From recovering stolen goods, detecting explosive material, identifying narcotics to searching for missing children — the dogs are well-trained and follow a strict diet and routine. They are also part of Republic Day, Independence Day and other police parades, where they march with their handlers.

DCP (Crime) Manoj C said, “The dogs play a vital role in safety and security in the city. We have had incidents where dogs have been used to guard courts, malls, markets and airports. They have been trained at the Indian Army’s Remount and Veterinary Corps base in Meerut. Some of them have been trained by Border Security Force (BSF) in Madhya Pradesh. They are now ready to work with different police teams.”

After the training of explosive-detection dogs, the police hired 19 handlers for personal training in Meerut. The dogs’ training starts when they are six months old and goes on for three to six months.

“We need specialised dogs in the national capital. There are always VIP duties and anti-sabotage checks where we need more than human eyes to detect the danger of any sort, especially after the two IED incidents in Shahdara. At the end of the training, dogs and their handlers have to qualify for a practical and written test and need to get a certificate. If they fail, their training period is extended,” said an officer.

At present, the dogs are deployed at 10 police stations in Delhi — Model Town, Chanakyapuri, Kalyanpuri, Daryaganj, Sabzi Mandi, Maurya Enclave, RK Puram, Dwarka, Janakpuri and Saket.

At the Saket centre,  assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Gautam and his team take care of Golden Retrievers and others that were inducted in 2019. “We give them a very nutritious diet with eggs, milk, mutton, roti and dalia (porridge). We train them and also give them time to play with their fur friends and handlers,” said ASI Gautam.

In North Delhi, DCP Sagar Singh Kalsi said the dog squad stays inside the Sabzi Mandi police station and has been operational for a long time.

The centre is headed by ASI Jitendra Dogra who said he takes care of four Labradors and one German Shepherd – three are explosive detection dogs and the two are tracker dogs.

“We have many politicians, VIPs and officials living in North Delhi and have to conduct checks for their security. There’s also Tees Hazari court where the dogs are taken for regular checks for bombs and weapons. To prevent crimes near ISBT, Chandni Chowk and other heavy-footfall places, we deploy dogs to conduct checks,” said ASI Dogra.