Lone dog to sniff out narcotics!
VIBHA VERMA
PANJIM, NOV 27
Even as drug peddling on the State’s beaches is considered as a biggest challenge for the State police force, the use of sniffer dogs to sniff out narcotics seems to be minimal.
A reply under Right to Information, Superintendent of Police (Crime Branch) M K Desai states that between September 2009 to September 2010, dog squad was used only twice to sniff narcotics.
This is at a time when Goa has got a dubious distinction after the police-drugs mafia nexus expose.
Further, the information reveals that Goa Police has only one dog who is trained in sniffing narcotics as against three dogs for explosives, three for tracking theft and murders and two are newly trained and yet to be classified.
The State has nine trained dogs who have attended 652 calls in last one year, which virtually makes for average two calls a day.
But the police record indicates that the dogs are used extensively to track down theft cases and election duty.
Of the nine existing dogs, the senior is Koki, 8.6 years old dog. The youngest ones in the clan are Pooja and Goldy, both aged one-year-nine months.
Five dogs – Nappy, Lebro, Preeti, Bunty and Jenny, are aged three years each while Rani is four years and four months.
Police department data reveals that 327 election related calls were attended by the dog squad in last one year while 301 calls were of theft tracking.
The probable bomb threat was diffused by dog squad 22 times throughout the year.
Dog squad, which is under Crime Branch, is headed by two assistant sub inspectors, 10 head constables, six police constables, four cooks and two sweepers.
What is more shocking is that the department has no trainer to train the dogs. Instead, they are trained at government training centres. Even their procurement is done through government agencies.
58 years may be ideal age for a policeman to retire from the service but when it comes to their skilled assistants, there is no specific age for superannuation.
State police department has clarified that there is no specific age of retirement.
