Kerala mounted police to ramp up night patrols with Army-trained horses

Kerala Police

The famed mounted police wing of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, is set to enhance its street presence in the city with the force contemplating deploying three newly procured army horses on patrolling duty by mid-August.

According to The New Indian Express, currently, six horses are patrolling the city in three shifts — 6am to 8am in the morning, 5.30pm to 7.30pm in the evening, and 10pm to 2am at night.

After the induction of the three horses, there will be an additional batch for night patrolling, which would be functioning from 10pm to 2am or 2am to 6am, the report added. While the actual sanctioned strength is 25, the mounted wing at present has a bench strength of 14 horses.

As per the report, a full-fledged unit in its zenith used to patrol the city once. However, as the number of horses dwindled, the areas covered under patrol came down.

The patrolling is mostly done between East Fort and Manacaud presently. The patrols mostly traverse the congested alleys and residential areas, which cannot be checked using police four-wheelers, the report added.

TINE quoted its source as saying that each horse daily covers 10km minimum, and the patrolling, especially at night, helps keep the criminal elements in check.

“The horses can go to every nook and corner of dark alleys. Since the stray dogs are afraid to come closer to the horses, the cops on patrol need not worry about the safety of the horses or themselves.

That’s the biggest advantage when compared to the cops patrolling on two-wheelers. If there are any suspicious activities spotted, the men will inquire and alert the control room if their intervention is required,” the source added.

Of the 14 horses, only 10 are currently used for patrolling, as four of them have health issues. TINE noted that one of the horses is suffering from a heart ailment, the second one has neurological issues, while two others have hoof injuries.

The three thoroughbred horses that were bought from the Army’s Remount Veterinary Corps have undergone acclimatisation and will be performing during the Independence Day parade on August 15.

Thiruvananthapuram mounted police will soon be getting a batch of professionally trained horsemen to join its ranks. On June 4, the Public Service Commission (PSC) published the rank list of police constables (mounted police), from which candidates would be appointed soon.

Until now, police officers worked in the wing on deputation. As per the report, this is the first time a direct appointment to Kerala’s lone mounted police is being done through PSC.

The new recruits will undergo nine-month training at the police academy, after which they will be attached to the wing.

As of now, there are 14 vacancies in the unit, which will be filled from the rank list featuring 19 names, the report added.