It's all paws-on-deck with three new Police Dogs (PDs) joining the ranks in the Far North District, including one general Purpose Dog and two drug detection dogs.
Police Dog DJ and his handler Senior Constable Connor O'Sullivan joined the Far North Dog Squad in late December, after completing a 12-week State Dog Squad Training and Development course.
On February 13, Senior Constable O'Sullivan and PD DJ helped locate and arrest five teenagers, after an allegedly stolen Honda HR-V was subject to a tyre deflation device on the corner of Sandown Close and Mulgrave Road in Woree.
Senior Constable O'Sullivan said he was excited to join the squad after years of working alongside them in Cairns.
"I wanted to join the Dog Squad because I wanted to work with dogs, especially in Cairns I see how vital they are to policing up here with property crime and other issues," Senior Constable O'Sullivan said.
"Our training doesn't stop, we train everyday to build up the dogs' skills and our own."
Detection Dog duo PD Daphne and PD Narco have also hit the beat, sniffing out drugs, firearms and Australian currency.
Handler Senior Constable Glen Buckle joined the Far North Dog Squad in 2018 and said constant training and exposure to various smells is crucial to keep the dogs' noses sharp.
"Daphne and Narco are specifically trained to locate heroin, cocaine, MDMA, methylamphetamine, firearms and cash," Senior Constable Buckle said.
"They're an incredibly vital part of policing and play an important role during major investigations and search warrants.
"They love their work and we've already formed a close bond."
Officer in charge of the Far North Dog Squad Acting Sergeant Dan Fysh said the new Police Dogs and their handlers are hard-working and committed to serving their community.
"Police Dogs have the unique ability to track down offenders and find missing people when police can't," Acting Sergeant Fysh said.
"The entire team are incredibly dedicated to responding to urgent jobs, and the new additions are continuing to build on the rigorous training they started when they were just puppies.
"It's important these dogs work with their handlers as a team, and form a strong bond both at work, and at home."
The Far North Dog Squad now has two Drug Detection Dogs and five General Purpose dogs.
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