The Valenzuela city police force recently got new comrades in their fight against drugs and terrorism. They now have six canine dogs to help keep the city safe as the “paw-lice” force.
Last January 12, Mayor Rexlon Gatchalian introduced their new teammates – Jhunjay and Zeus who are Labrador Retrievers; Onyok, a Jack Russel; Zanjo, a beagle; and Michael and Tanyo who are Belgian Malinois.
The mayor mentioned how proud he is that Valenzuela City is the only local government unit to date with its own K9 unit.
While the dogs may look cute, there’s more to them than meets the eye. They are all trained to detect illegal drugs and explosives. The city’s public information office shared with Philstar.com that the dogs were purchased at Php 350,000 each. Their old fire station was converted into a canine kennel for the new “paw-lice” force.
The city also did a couple of upgrades. A total of 41 Crosswind vehicles with GPS and dashboard cameras were bought as the new cars of the Valenzuela police force. In addition, 19 Hilux pick-ups are scheduled to arrive within the month to ensure better mobility and monitoring of the city, according to Gatchalian.
“Tayo na ang una na equipped with the call of the times. Pinaiigtingan natin ang laban sa droga at terorismo, which are everybody’s problems,” said Gatchalian.
The additions and improvements for Valenzuela cops would pave the way for a “self-sustained police force,” he added.