They shook hands, cuddled and even hugged. Anna, Julie, Jerry, Stephy and Kalyani were a big hit with the students of Government Vocational Higher Secondary School for the Deaf in Jagathy.
The canines were members of the dog squads of the Thiruvananthapuram City and Rural Police who were paraded during the ‘A day with the Police’ initiative of the State police organised in connection with the Children’s Day celebrations. Following a brief session during which the dogs displayed their basic skills, Stephy, the lone Golden Retriever in the group, was deployed to sniff out a decoy explosive that was placed beneath a police vehicle. Later, Kalyani, a Labrador, was assigned with locating a decoy that was hidden within the uniform of a student.
The students cheered for them as the canines went about their job in a skilled manner.
School in-charge Aida David said that the programme proved to be a memorable one for the students who seldom received opportunities for leisure trips and such events. As part of the ‘A day with the Police’ programme, a performance by the city police band and a display of police arsenal was held at the Government Girls High School in Pattom.
Besides, students were also provided with the opportunity to interact with the mounted force of the City Police and ride on horses at the Government Model School in Thycaud.
According to City Police Commissioner G. Sparjan Kumar, the intention of the State-wide programme was to enable children to familiarise themselves with the functioning of the Kerala Police.
He added that the objective of the initiative was to impress upon the children that police personnel were not just law-enforcers but also as those who strived to ensure their safety and welfare.
