The passing out ceremony for the three new police dogs Flash, Nyx and Gus which commence service with the RGP Dog section today, took place this morning in the New Mole House courtyard in the presence of Commissioner Ian McGrail.
Their handlers PC Harrison, PC Almeida and PC Rowbottom received certificates of achievement from Mr McGrail after a gruelling 16 week training period, a programme approved by the UK National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC).
Additionally, there is also a week of assessments conducted by an outside force, on this occasion it was a Bedfordshire Police assessor who came over to certify the dogs and the training.
The three dogs then carried out a demonstration of their searching and restraining abilities and displayed a high level of training and discipline, obeying the instructions from their respective handlers at every moment.
At present there are nine dogs in the unit, mostly German shepherd dogs, five for general police operations, two for searching explosives and another two for drugs and firearms.
These animals are very versatile and trained in a range of skills which include searching for persons, drugs, firearms, explosives and other objects. They can also be engaged in criminal investigations, finding and tracking offenders, and following a human scent, to discover a hidden person in an area or a building.
Police dogs can also be used for public order tasks as their mere presence tends to deescalate situations very quickly without the need for the use of force.
Dogs are carefully selected for service and handlers will seek certain traits and characteristics in the animal, often contained in their lineage, such as a high drive, determination, the capacity to hold on to something and not let go, and a retrieving instinct.
Police handlers Sergeants Pisarello and Finlayson added that the training of dogs is an ongoing exercise with refreshment training taking place every three months, and the dogs will attain an advanced level one or two years into the job. Police dogs normally retire and are rehoused at the age of seven or eight.
“Outside of Police work they are very friendly and approachable dogs, they are not biting machines as the public may think, what they do is hold and restrain. In Gibraltar they are used to being in close proximity with the general public,” they said.
The course instructor is former police officer Louis Baglietto of Let K9 Services who was contracted to provide the tuition and the dogs.
Police dogs were introduced into the RGP for the first time back in 2012.
Commissioner Ian McGrail said: “I would like to welcome the three police dogs to the RGP family in the expectation and with the confidence that their rigorous training will be put to good use, and that they will provide a valuable service to police operations across a whole spectrum of police work.”
At the end of the passing out ceremony, PD Stig who retired from RGP service last week was presented with a badge of honour by Commissioner McGrail in recognition to his valuable contribution in numerous policing operations.
The names of the dogs with their respective handlers is as follows: PC Harrison and Police Dog Flash, PC Almeida and PD Nyx, PC Rowbottom and PD Gus, PC Peñalver and PD Prince, PC Olivero and PD Ness, Sergeant Pisarello PDs Alfie and Bella, Sergeant Finlayson PDs Snipe and Spencer. Also in the picture RGP Commissioner and Dog Instructor Louis Baglietto.