THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a novel move to reinforce its rapport with the public, especially youths, the police department has decided to let youngsters learn horse riding with their famed mounted police unit. The unit in the state capital houses 18 horses, mostly trained in army stables, and the decision to let the public use them aims to engage youngsters and keep them away from drugs, said Thiruvananthapuram City Police Commissioner Arul B Krishna.
The pilot project will be launched by Monday and will continue for 20 days. As many as 24 people aged 15 to 60 will be admitted for training once the regular phase of the project commences. The decision to throw open the facility to the general public was taken in conjunction with ‘Toofan Care’, a special exercise being carried out to combat drug abuse through community engagements, the commissioner said.
The trainees will be selected on the basis of the production of a police clearance certificate to prove that they do not have any criminal antecedents. Though the fee structure is yet to be fixed, sources said it will be around Rs 25000-Rs 30,000.
“Community outreach is critical in fighting the drug menace. That’s one of the reasons we proposed this initiative. Youths now have a chance to ride some of the best horses in the country and that too at a nominal rate,” the commissioner pointed out.
‘Operation Toofan’ was launched by Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala to combat drug abuse after it emerged that drug peddling was rampant in the state.
A source with the mounted police said trainees have good employment opportunities if they want to become professional riders. “The central forces and state police regularly recruit riders with experience. There are private equestrian clubs that charge a killing from candidates who take their training courses. Here, the fee comes to only a fraction of what they charge,” the source said.
For the department, the initiative comes at minimal cost as the mounted unit has almost all the facilities required for training. “In the pilot phase, the classes will be held from 5 to 7 in the morning and evening,” the source said.