New facilities for police's crime-fighting pooches

Leicestershire Police currently has over 18 working dogs.

Dog section staff have modernised the unit which houses some of Leicestershire Police's furriest officers.

This includes six breeds of dogs – German and Dutch Shepherds and Belgian Malinois, who all work as general-purpose dogs as well as Labradors, and Cocker and Springer Spaniels, known as sniffer dogs, who can find illegal drugs, quantities of cash, explosives, and digital media storage devices, such as hard drives and SIM cards.

While the previous unit met all of the latest dog welfare legislation, it was built in the 1980s and needed modernisation to help the dogs become more settled especially given the number of dogs in the unit which has hugely increased over the years due to their extended use.

Sergeant Julian Lowe, who was behind the implementation of the changes, said: “Some of the dogs can spend a substantial amount of time in their kennels when the handers are on leave or courses so it is important that we provide the best environment for them. Our dogs often become stressed when they first arrive as they are used to being with their handler so anything we can do to reduce this stress is really important to us.

“As part of our advancement of the unit, each kennel is now enclosed from the other kennels so the dogs can’t see each other and has its own heating and lighting adapting to the individual dog’s needs.

As well as changes to the inside kennels, the outside compound now consists of four separate exercise areas featuring a grassed area and play equipment such as tunnels and hides to help stimulate the dog and encourage play. A separate agility area has also been upgraded to allow for this continued specific training of the dogs, a key part of work in particular for general purpose dogs which are used to track suspects and assist officers in public order situations.

The new unit was officially opened by Chief Constable Simon Cole and Police Crime Commissioner Rupert Matthews (pictured with Sgt Lowe) this week.

Chief Constable Simon Cole said: “Our dog unit is an important part of our day-to-day operational activity, working 24/7 to keep our communities safe. It’s great to see that their welfare is being managed with excellent facilities at force headquarters.”

Rupert Matthews, the police and crime commissioner for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, said: “It’s fantastic to see the dogs are very well-cared for and have excellent facilities to use when not out and about. The public can rest assured that our canine constables are well-looked after in five-star accommodation where they can keep active and keep their bodies fit.”