Our dog handling team

Trained dogs and their handlers play an important role in our mission to build safer communities. We have different breeds of dog undertake different duties. Most of our dogs are german shepherds, whose duties include:

• Tracking missing people
• Searching for missing suspects
• Locating lost or stolen property
• Chasing and detaining suspects
• Keeping order in crowd situations

Some dogs are trained as specialists. These include:

Firearms support dogs

These dogs are mostly german shepherds. They work with the tactical firearms team and are often the first to enter and search a building, often with cameras attached to their heads, with the monitor held by a police officer.

Explosives dogs

Many explosives dogs are spaniels, labradors or border collies, and are often working dogs rescued from a shelter. They are trained to search, locate and indicate the presence of military, commercial and home-made explosives. 

Drugs dogs

Drugs dogs are usually gun dogs such as german short-haired pointers, labradors and spaniels. Proactive drugs dogs are used to search premises, vehicles and areas for drugs and to let their handlers know when drugs have been found. Passive drugs dogs screen the air around individuals, and are often used at concerts and outside night clubs. As well as detecting drugs, they act as a visible deterrent.