Mumbai Police to get Belgian recruits

The Mumbai commissionerate will be the first in the state to get the Belgian Shepherd dogs in their force. File Pic

The Mumbai police are all set to get some sharp-nosed new additions to the force. These new recruits will work exclusively on Indian Penal Code related crimes, such as murders, high-profile robberies, etc. While tenders to buy the four-legged officers - Belgian Shepherd pups - have already been floated, they will join the crime branch by mid-January.

This will the first commissionerate in Maharashtra that will get dogs in their force. An officer said, "The Mumbai police administration had floated tenders and will purchase two pups initially. By January 15, the dogs will be part of the force."

The Belgian Shepherd (also known as the Belgian Sheepdog or Chien de Berger Belge) is a breed of medium-to-large-sized herding dog. It originated in Belgium and is similar to other sheep herding dogs from that region. The dogs are highly intelligent and easy to train.

As of now, the Mumbai police use Labradors for IPC detection, the Bomb Squad, and in narcotics cases. Recently, after almost 30 years, the Mumbai police's Anti-Narcotics Cell got a sniffer dog of its own.

The cell had been desperately seeking canines to detect drugs since its formation in 1989. Currently, the department's Bomb Disposal and Detection Squad has dogs that are also used in IPC related cases. Sources revealed that currently, paramilitary forces in India use Belgium Shepherds. The same breed of dog is also part of the American president's security detail.

Also read: Mumbai Police pays tribute to canine copy Ruby in a heartfelt video

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