VIJAYAWADA: The passing out parade of the 22nd batch of police canines — 35 dogs and 61 handlers — was held at the 6th Battalion ground in Mangalagiri on Tuesday.
Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha and Director General of Police (DGP) Harish Kumar Gupta attended the event.
Speaking on the occasion, Anitha praised the contribution of police dogs in VIP security, criminal investigations, and tracking offenders. “It is a matter of great satisfaction that this batch of canines has been given the necessary training to investigate and to effectively counter terrorist activities in line with rising crime rates in modern society.
Despite the challenges following bifurcation, our State established a canine training centre that continues to prepare dogs to meet the specific needs of the police force,” she said. She added that the State faces a significant need for more trained dogs for crime investigation, crime control, VIP security, and district-level policing. She assured government support to set up a full-fledged, well-equipped canine training centre.
The DGP said the dog squad plays a crucial role across police wings. “‘One Canine, Two Jobs’ is a true force multiplier. It makes our teams more versatile in the field and saves both budget and manpower. We have also introduced pseudo scents to modernise training, ensuring our dogs meet global standards in a safer and more effective environment,” he said.
Home Secretary Kumar Viswajeet, Intelligence Chief Mahesh Chandra Ladda, ADGP (L&O) Madhusudan Reddy, IG Ch Srikanth, IG (EAGLE) Ake Ravikrishna, IG Mohan Rao, and Vijayawada CP Rajasekhar Babu were present.