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Moroto, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Joint Operation Committee chaired by the Inspector General of Police, Martin Ochola has resolved to establish a military and police canine unit in Karamoja sub-region to help field security personnel in fighting criminality.
A canine unit comprises well-trained dogs and personnel that help in tracing suspected criminals, recovery of exhibits and stolen items. The dogs are used in finding culprits of crime incidents by following their movement from the scene up to the hideout. Canine force is also used for detecting explosives and other weapons.
The Police Director for Operations Edward Ochom has been tasked to ensure this unit is set up in Moroto district as soon as possible because of the on-going crime incidents in the area.
Ochom briefly hinted at the setting up of the dog unit in Karamoja without divulging details.
But URN understands that a team of military and police personnel has already been prepared while others are still being trained at Canine headquarters in Nsambya.
Karamoja has in the recent days been experiencing fire exchange between suspected cattle rustlers from Jie group and security agencies. The fights have left suspected cattle rustlers and civilians killed while others survived with wounds.
Ochom said police decided to set up a Canine Unit in Karamoja based on the recent criminal scenes where investigators had to pick dogs as far as Soroti town which is more than 150 kilometres.
It is reported that some of the police and military personnel who were passed out at the weekend will be sent to Karamoja by close of this week to help set up the Canine Unit in Moroto municipality.
The selection exercise is being conducted by Canine Unit Commander CP Martin Mugume. Apart from policemen and women, other security personnel who have been trained at the Canine Unit have been drawn from Special Forces Command –SFC. The SFC is an elite group that protects President Yoweri Museveni and other key installations in the country.
Canine training involves vigorous exercises on detecting explosives using sniffer dogs, tracking which includes following trails of people who have committed crimes and tracing narcotic substances using dogs.
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