COIMBATORE: In a possible first in Tamil Nadu, the Coimbatore City Police have appointed two animal welfare liaison officers (AWLO) in all police stations to handle animal abuse and animal cruelty cases in the city.
Coimbatore city police commissioner V Balakrishnan said the officers were trained in laws related to animal welfare by four experts, including Madras High Court advocates and animal welfare organisation members, at the commissioner office on Saturday.
According to S Thangam, assistant commissioner of police and nodal officer for the project, though cases related to animal cruelty are registered regularly, police officers need to be sensitised to the special approach needed to handle such cases.
Most police officers do not have the experience in registering such cases under suitable laws, arresting accused, taking such cases to their logical conclusion, and rescuing and treating affected animals. Most of the cases registered under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act are usually handled like regular cases.
Policemen also need to have a clear idea about the Act. This project has been launched for the first time in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu to address these lacunae and offer immediate legal and medical assistance to the affected animals, Thangam said.
‘Each police station to get two animal welfare officers’
Lawyers, who took part in the training programme, taught participants on how to treat animals in case of harassment, how to rescue them with the help of volunteers and take them for treatment, how to file a case against the accused, and laws that can be invoked in such cases, the officer said.
“To help animal lovers register complaints without much hassle and to follow up on such cases, two animal welfare liaison officers have been assigned for each police station. The training was conducted in association with ‘Dogs of Coimbatore’ NGO associated with Vajra Foundation which was working on animal welfare,” said Kesica Jayapalan, founder, Dogs of Coimbatore.
The officers will act as a bridge between police and public. They will ensure maximum punishment for the accused, Kesica said.