Get to know our four-legged crimefighters
By Kenneth Tee
The Malay Mail Online18 February 2018
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 18 ― Our furry animals in blue deserve some love from us during the Year of the Dog celebrations for their bravery, agility and sharp senses.
Established in 1968, the Royal Malaysian Police K9 unit located at the Police Training Centre (Pulapol) here boasts prized dogs, mostly imported from China.
Just like the men in blue, the smart canines are also on duty around the clock, and play an equally important role in the force, from detecting explosives and hunting down suspects to tracing narcotics.
Bukit Aman Technical Assistance officer Inspector M. Alagu Mani said the K9 unit is an important part of the force, where the officers and their canine partners are on call at any time of the day.
“Criminals strike at any time and so the canines must be prepared to assist whenever they’re needed,” he said.
Alagu said he considers himself lucky to be able to work with the animals.
“The dogs help us in many ways. We can use them to assist murder cases, crowd control or even identifying bullet casings or evidence that may be too obscure for the human eye to detect.
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(From left) Youni, Rambo and Mate posing for sitting shot before the start of the obstacle course.More
“I think I speak for everyone else in the K9 unit by saying how great it is to be able to work with our furry friends whom we see as our colleagues,” he said.
He added it is crucial for handlers to ensure the animals are healthy and fit.
“The dogs are weighed once a week. Being overweight may affect their performance. We feed them once a day and keep them active so they can carry out their responsibilities well,” he said.
Alagu said the dogs do face risks while on duty, such as heat stroke or exhaustion, but the handlers constantly check on them.
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Rambo the German Shepherd poses with its handler, Corporal Zeno Reed AM Wira before taking on the obstacle course.More
He added the dogs are usually recruited when they reach adulthood and undergo training for at least four months. They are no longer required in the K9 unit after being in the service for 12 to 13 years.
General purpose trainer Corporal M. Puvanesvaran, 36, said the dogs are commanded in Bahasa Malaysia.
“We want those who come face to face with our dogs to understand the national language and there is no excuse for miscommunication,” he said.
Puvanesvaran also revealed that all of the unit’s dogs are male as female dogs would disrupt the males’ sense of smell.
