A newly trained police patrol dog and handler are on their way to Christchurch after graduating today from the New Zealand Police Dog Training Centre in Trentham.
The Christchurch team is one of six new dog-handler pairs to complete the intensive programme, including five frontline patrol dogs and one explosives detector dog.
Police Commissioner Richard Chambers congratulated the graduates, saying the teams would play a crucial role in frontline policing.
“It is fantastic to see these six dog teams graduate today and head back out to districts. They will have an exciting career – our dog teams regularly deploy in tough situations and are remarkable at what they do,” he said.
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The graduation ceremony, held in front of family, friends, and police executives, marks the end of weeks of rigorous training designed to prepare both dog and handler for real-world operations.
Inspector Todd Southall, National Coordinator of Police Dogs, said the dogs were invaluable to frontline staff.
“These frontline patrol dogs are incredible and work alongside our officers doing some of the most dangerous jobs in police. Our amazing detector dogs are trained to detect drugs, firearms, cash, and explosives. Both our frontline and detector dogs are worth their weight in gold,” he said.
Joining Christchurch’s new recruit are dog teams heading to Hawke’s Bay, Timaru, and Auckland, while Wellington District receives a new explosives detector dog.
The graduation is seen as a proud milestone by those involved, with Southall saying the process requires “patience and perseverance” to succeed.
The new Christchurch team is expected to begin operational duties immediately.
