- Eight additional Police Dogs (PDs) and their handlers to be deployed across Queensland in 2024.
- Three of the eight extra PDs and handlers just finished their 12-week training course last week, with two officers deployed to Brisbane, one to Cairns.
- The boost in capability aims to assist frontline officers in tracking down offenders and ultimately working towards improving community safety.
An additional eight Police Dogs (PDs) and their handlers are set to join the Queensland Police Service (QPS) this year, as part of a boost in operational capabilities across the state.
Police Minister Mark Ryan visited the Brisbane Dog Squad complex in Brisbane today alongside Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski, to discuss what the extra support means for frontline staff.
Three of the additional handlers, alongside their general-purpose PDs, started in their new roles this week, after undergoing a 12-week State Dog Squad Training and Development course to get them ready for deployment.
They are part of a cohort of five QPS officers who graduated with their PDs at the end of June.
The final two dogs in the cohort are filling existing positions in Mount Isa and the Gold Coast.
The recruits were put through their paces at the Brisbane Dog Squad complex over the past few months, learning obedience, tracking, searching and operational skills, but above all else, learning to work as a team.
The course also focuses on developing working relationships between handlers and their PDs.
Of the eight new positions starting this year, two police dogs and their handlers were deployed earlier in the year to Ipswich and the Darling Downs.
Three more PDs and their handlers are set to undergo the training course later in the year.
Queensland Police Dogs start their training from as early as eight-weeks-old, and their personality and breed will eventually determine whether they become general purpose or detection dogs with the QPS.
Twelve-week-old German Shepherd puppies Archie and Arlo are two of the younger recruits currently on site.
They are taking part in their own puppy socialisation course, so they too can become working PDs one day.
As stated by Police Minister Mark Ryan:
“The Dog Squad is an invaluable asset for Queensland Police, and the extra PDs will no doubt be a welcome support for operational crews.
“This boost in capability will only enhance community safety, and it will make a significant contribution to the operations and work being done by officers to fight property crime.”
As stated by Commissioner of Police Steve Gollschewski:
“The training that these PDs receive with the QPS Dog Squad is second-to-none and it shows each time they successfully track down offenders who have fled a scene.
“A lot of time and effort goes into making sure the dogs are operationally capable, so they are comfortable working in any type of environment, which we see so many successful tracks.
“Having these dogs being able to pick up the scent of an offender and apprehend them quickly prevents further crime from occurring and improves community safety. “
Fast Facts
- Eight new growth positions in the QPS Dog Squad in 2024.
- Two PDs and handlers already hit the ground running in the Darling Downs and Ipswich Districts earlier this year.
- Of the three extra PDs and handlers who just finished training in June, two will be deployed to Brisbane, one will go to Cairns.
- A total of five PDs and handlers were on the 12-week course together (two filling existing positions in Mount Isa and Gold Coast).
- The last of the additional PDs and handlers will complete training later in the year, where two will be deployed to Brisbane and one will be deployed to Townsville.
- Five new positions at the Dog Squad’s State Training and Development Centre are also expected to be filled by the end of 2024.
