Patna: The Bihar Police has expanded its canine unit with the induction of 30 specially trained dogs, raising the total strength of the dog squad to 96. The move is aimed at strengthening criminal investigations and enhancing security checks, including those related to VIP protection.
The dog squad operates under the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and plays a crucial role in tasks such as tracking suspects, detecting explosives and assisting investigators in gathering evidence during criminal probes. Officials said the unit currently has 96 trained dogs against a sanctioned strength of 200.
Specially trained dogs have been deployed at several strategic locations across the state. Two dogs each are stationed at Darbhanga and Purnia airports to assist with security screening, while similar deployments have been made at Patna Metro stations. In addition, canine units have been posted in border districts where kennel facilities are available, and eight dogs are stationed in Patna for high-priority assignments including VIP security checks.
Police officials said each dog in the squad is trained for specific operational tasks such as detection, tracking and security screening. The canine unit is considered an important support system for law enforcement agencies during investigations and security operations.
The state government is also planning to expand the dog squad further. Around 50 new dogs are expected to be procured by June or July this year and will be sent for specialised training at the Integrated Intelligence Training Academy (IITA) in Moinabad, near Hyderabad in Telangana.
After completing nearly a year of intensive training, the new batch is expected to join the Bihar Police canine unit by July or August next year. Once inducted, the total strength of the squad is likely to reach around 150 trained dogs.
“Recently, 30 specially trained dogs have been inducted into the dog squad. There is a plan to increase their number to around 150 by next year and the process is progressing rapidly,” said Paras Nath, Additional Director General (CID). He added that only dogs that undergo specialised training at the Moinabad training centre are inducted into the unit, while the process of procuring quality breeds such as German Shepherds, Labradors and Alsatians is currently underway.
