Maharashtra Police to get a new breed of canine officers from Belgium

The Belgian Malinois, deployed by top agencies, is capable of working tirelessly in hot weather and will be posted in anti-terror and anti-Maoist squads

A Belgian Malinois with CRPF trainers. Pic/Getty Images

The Maharashtra Police will get a new 'ruff' and tough breed of dogs - Belgian Malinois - to combat terror and Naxalite threats. Known to be more ferocious and hardy than other canine breeds currently working with the state police, these dogs are also used in the US to protect the White House.

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A Belgian Malinois trained by the CRPF walks on a thin wooden ledge in a demonstration of its agility. Pic/Getty Images

The state police have initiated a process to procure 20 Belgian Malinois that will directly be handed over to Force-1 for training and deployment in sensitive combat zones. These dogs are more sturdy and fierce than the German Shepherds and Labrador Retrievers currently in service with the police force. Their heightened agility and aggression make them ideal canine companions for security forces in combat with terrorists and Naxalites.

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Sanjay Kumar, Additional Director General of Police, state CID, said, "This breed of dog doesn't require as much care as German Shepherds or Labradors, especially when it comes to temperature. This Belgian breed can work even in hot conditions. Thus, procurement of this breed has been processed specifically for Naxal areas and to deal with terror-related incidents."

Ruff and tough
The move to procure the dogs comes after the same breed was also inducted into the Border Security Force (BSF) and Rajasthan Police to handle tough tasks. The National Security Guard (NSG) and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police also employ this breed.

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Belgian Malinois can be used as working dogs for tasks such as detection of explosives, and narcotics, as well as tracking crime suspects. These keen sniffers are also employed in search and rescue missions.

Several countries employ Belgian Malinois for high-pressure work – the US Secret Service uses these top dogs for the top job of guarding the grounds of the White House and its inhabitants, including the President. Belguim, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, Australia and several other nations employ such dogs for detection, protection and police work.

Training
Unlike all the other dogs procured by the state police, these 20 Belgian Malinois will not be trained at the CID's training centre in Pune, as they will be trained directly by Force-1's trainers. At present, the state police has 92 canine cops in service. The force has sanction for the procurement of 181 canines. However, not all the vacancies will be filled immediately. "Once the pups are four months old, they are trained by special handlers for six to eight months. If too many dogs are procured in one go, it will not be possible for handlers to train them all. That is why induction of new canines will be done in a phased manner," said a senior police officer.

In addition, not all the vacancies will be filled with Belgian Malinois, as they are suitable for all jobs. Their one disadvantage is their high energy level and aggression, which makes them unsuitable as police dogs in crowded public areas like railway stations and airports. For these situations, the police will continue to use Labradors and German Shepherds.

Pathankot's good boy
Rocket, a Belgian Malinois raised by the National Security Guard's K-9 unit, played a vital role during the counter-terror operations after the Pathankot IAF airbase attack. He was recommended for the gallantry award in 2016, for detecting fidayeen presence in attack. During the operation, he received burn injuries on his paws and forehead. However, he was back on duty weeks later.

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