Meet the new four-legged police recruits aiming to make it as canine crime fighters

Meet the latest four-legged recruits aiming to make it as canine crime fighters in North Wales and Cheshire.

TPD (Trainee Police Dog) Logan – a 10 week old Dutch Herder and TPD Keo – a 13 week old Black Labrador were in a playful mood in front of the press who’d been invited along to the dog unit’s Deeside HQ last week.

The dog unit is an alliance between North Wales and Cheshire police forces and was officially amalgamated last year following a three year trial.

The unit has over 20 dog handlers and around 40 dogs which provide a 24-hour, seven day a week response across the two force areas.

The new recruits were joined by handlers PC Richie Land of Cheshire Police and PC Helen Evans from North Wales Police who explained the different roles both dogs will perform once they make the grade.

[TPD Logan]

The talents of the canine companions are an invaluable crime-fighting tool for the police and once fully trained TPD Logan will be a general purpose dog.

He will be trained to track for people of offenders, search open areas and buildings, search for and find recently discarded items of property and also to detain suspects.

TPD Keo will be one of the first dogs trained to detect blood and bodily fluids at crime scenes, other specialist dogs are trained to detect firearms, ammunition, cash and drugs.

Most handlers will have a general purpose dog and a specialist dog, and once a dog is allocated to a handler it will remain with them for the duration of their working life which is usually around eight years.

[PC Helen Evans from North Wales Police and PC Richie Land of Cheshire Police ]

Its a unique bond between dog and handler and as Sargeant Howard Wall told Deeside.com, police dog handlers can end up spending more time with their dogs than they do with their families.

The dogs live at home with their handler and at the end of their working life most of the dogs retire and remain with their handler as a pet.

Puppies used by police come from “trusted suppliers” said Sgt Wall – an instructor and dog handler for over 20 years, “ breeders know the type of dogs and the drive within those dogs that we’re looking for.”

Both trainees will go through environmental training, getting used to public places, traffic, noise and exposed to different people and other animals for up to 18 months before going on more specific police dog training courses.

[Playtime – it’s also an important part of their development, like all dogs, they need socialisation and the rough and tumble of puppy play helps build skills and confidence]

Finns Law

Logan and Keo will benefit from a new law introduced last month, it’s aimed at protecting service animals such as police dogs and horses.

The Animal Welfare (Service Animals) Bill, known as ‘Finn’s Law’, came in to force on June 8, it will prevent those who attack or injure service animals from claiming self-defence.

The law is named after Finn, a police dog who was stabbed whilst pursuing a suspect with his handler PC David Wardell.

Finn sustained serious stab wounds to the chest and head, but only criminal damage charges could be brought against his attacker.

Its a move welcomed by Sgt Wall, he said: “I’ve been a dog handler for the best part of 20 years and police officer 28, we’ve been saying (we have needed Finns Law) for an awful long time.

I’ve had colleagues on the unit who’s dogs have been assaulted quite seriously and in some cases had their career ended.

Dogs were always regarded as property and property only, which has always been a real bone of contention especially when you look at the United States which has had laws in place that recognise police dogs and gives them the same status as a police officer.”