BECOMING a police dog handler for Avon and
Somerset Police is a lifestyle choice and a 24/7 occupation.
Some 52 handlers, made up of 48 constables
and four sergeants, all live and breathe their chosen career path.
The dogs live with their handlers and many
become part of the family and lead a normal dog's life outside of their work.
Embedding themselves within the family
home, most sleep outside in purpose-built kennels as the working dogs have to
deal with the harsh British weather so their coat has to be extra thick.
These intelligent animals are trained so
well they know the difference between home and work.
Once at work they are focused on the job;
effortlessly switching into the skills learnt during their initial training
which can last from 4 to 13 weeks. Although their training never really ends,
just like most of us in our workplace they are regularly learning new things
and gaining new experiences.
The dogs have annual licensing, which means
they are tested to Home Office standards to ensure they are capable and safe to
do their jobs. If they fail, (which doesn't happen often) they are given extra
training or have action plans for improvement.
Working from the Tri Force Operations Hub
at Bridgwater are 13 general purpose dogs, which are usually German Shepherds
but the force also has two Belgian Shepherds (Malinois).
There are also eight drugs dogs who search
for weapons, cash and drugs, they are mainly Springer Spaniels and Labradors
but they also have Harry who is a lovely Staffie cross breed.
The force has a number of explosives search
dogs (again Springer's and Labradors) in the Tri force team who support
operations across Wiltshire and Gloucestershire as well as Avon and Somerset.
Many of the dog handlers have two dogs; one
general purpose and one trained as either a drugs or explosives search dog.
The team try to ensure there are a number
of puppies ready to be trained to take over from dogs due to retire. The
puppies are easier to train than an older dog and their training can be reduced
to just 6 weeks.
Denis McCoy, Dog Sergeant (Tri Force
Specialist Operations) has managed the team for 15 years. He handles Lebo, a
Belgian Shepherd.
He said: "Before they attend work the
dogs have to be exercised and groomed. Most days a general purpose dog and their
handler will be called to search areas to locate a missing person or to track
an offender who has fled a scene of crime.
"A drugs dog may attend a warrant to
search for hidden drugs and an explosives dog could be on the hunt for
suspicious packages before a VIP or politician visits a location."
"Often the dogs are a deterrent, with
offenders thinking twice about their actions when the dog team arrive at the
scene."
The role of a police dog handler is a
difficult one to gain, as officers often remain in post until they retire
because they love their job so much. Anyone lucky enough to find a vacancy
needs to be an experienced police officer and to undergo a tough two day
assessment.
PC Louise Grabham and PC Jon Norton are
handlers to Ollie and Rufus, two Springer's who were donated to the force by
members of the public and 'passed out' as drugs dogs last November.
"Rufus and Ollie are doing very well
and although they are still in a transition period they have had some great
results. There is a lot for them to take in, they have to get used to long and
fast car journeys as well as the noise of a siren and be ready for work at the
end of it," said Jon, who has been a handler for six years following
nearly nine years as a response officer in Bristol.
"You form such a bond with the dogs,
they are our crew mates and we would never put them in situations we wouldn't
be prepared to put ourselves into" said Jon. "I always wanted to be a
dog handler, right from the start of my career in the force; it's a privilege
to work here.
"Rufus had his first drugs find back
in November when a suspected dealer had hidden their drugs under a concrete
paving slab. Rufus sniffed out nearly £600 worth of crack cocaine and heroin.
It's rewarding to see the hard training pay off."
Ollie too has had some great successes; his
first find was in a vehicle where he sniffed out drugs that were hidden in a
secret section of a glove compartment.
Louise said: "I love my job, most of
the action happens at night time so I mainly cover lates and nightshifts. I
enjoy being active and in the thick of it." Louise has been in the force
for a total of 23 years, first as a response officer then as a detective in
child protection before joining the dog section six years ago.
"We are known for being a muddy mess,
you can smell us before you see us" she laughs. "There are times when
I've ended up waist deep in a black, sludgy, smelly swamp. I wouldn't change
it, I love coming to work."
"Although, Ollie's inquisitive nature
added to the festive fun last Christmas. He opened most of the presents under
our Christmas tree. We had fun and games trying to match the gift tags to the
presents to work out who they were from" she smiles giving Ollie a hug.
Ollie and Rufus go from strength to
strength and are continuing to gain operational experience. It's clear that the
dogs enjoy their jobs too, they give us a demonstration of their skills in
finding drugs and, as they do so, they make little yelping noises and their
tails are wagging furiously.
Source - Western Gazette
