Hyderabad: Now we can see women constables astride horses on Hyderabad's bustling streets guarding them, vigilantly surveying crowds and engaging with citizens. Hyderabad police believe that it would become a symbol of an inclusive police force.

In a historic move, the Hyderabad City Police introduced a women's mounted unit on Friday. Ten women constables from the Armed Reserve (AR) have completed a rigorous two-month training program at the Goshamahal Mounted Unit and are now set to undertake patrol, bandobast, and VIP security duties across the city.

C.V. Anand, who announced the decision to induct women horse riders into the force, said this step was taken to encourage women to come to the forefront in all fields. He added that for the first time, these women mounted police officers will be part of the regular patrols.

Expansion of Dog Squad

The Hyderabad City Police are also expanding their dog squad. Currently, the 34 dogs in the unit are overworked, so the force has decided to increase the number to 54. The new dogs will be inducted after they complete extensive training at the Integrated Intelligence Training Academy (IITA). They will be used for detecting explosives and narcotics, and for tracking criminals.

To improve the quality of the dogs, a special committee has been formed. This committee will select high-quality dogs from breeders across the country. In the first phase, 12 dogs have been acquired, with more to be added in the future.

New infrastructure for animals

In light of the new Osmania General Hospital (OGH) construction, the mounted ground and stables at Goshamahal Police Stadium will be relocated to a new site. The government has sanctioned funds for this new infrastructure, which will include new buildings for the City Security Wing, a vehicle impound yard, new horse stables, and a parade ground. A new dog kennel and mounted unit will be constructed over 11.5 acres, with facilities for 60 dogs. The tenders for this project will be finalised on 8 September.