A moment of celebration for the Police Dog Section and those who help them train

Wiltshire Police took a moment of recognition for their Dog Section and several partners and contacts with local venues who enable their Dog Handlers and Police Dogs to train within and around their premises on Friday ( 19 January).

Held at Melksham Town Football Club Friday morning, attendees enjoyed being given an insight into the training and everyday lives of our Dog Section, what it’s like being a Dog Handler and the dedication of the team to their roles.

Several handlers and their dogs showed off their recall skills and keen noses when conducting searches. The Dog Handlers and their four-legged colleagues were then presented with their: police dog training certificate; firearms support dog certificate; specialist drugs training certificate; dog commander training certificate or special achievement award by Chief Constable Catherine Roper and Dog Unit Manager Ian Partington.

Recently appointed Dog Section Sergeant, Jon Harwood, was keen to acknowledge the team’s continued loyalty and enthusiasm, as well as recognise the various venues who generously allow the team to train within their premises. It was a particularly special occasion as the officers are rarely in the same space as each other as they are normally on shift patterns to cover 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Chief Constable Catherine Roper, said: “As most of you will know, we have three priorities within the Force; Safer Public Spaces, Tackling Violence and Burglary and our dog teams are at the heart of all three and assist us to achieve the best results possible in helping to keep our communities safe.”

To the community members and partners who joined the meeting, she said: “We simply couldn’t accomplish the outcomes we do without those of you in this room who kindly encourage our Police Dogs and Dog Handlers to carry out their training in your venues. The variety of locations offered both with indoor and outdoor spaces helps push the dogs and their trainers to be the best they can be. And we’d like to thank you and celebrate that.”

"We’re extremely proud of all our Dog Handlers and their hard-working furry colleagues and would like to thank every one of them for their continued dedication, patience and bravery; often the first going into extremely challenging or unknown circumstances.

"Our Police Dogs are trained in finding a range of items, from people, drugs or weapons to cash, firearms or digital devices. They can often be found looking after Royalty, making sure football matches are kept calm, attending the races at Cheltenham and are regularly called upon to support major national events."