2:27pm Wednesday 20th August 2008
By Karen Bate
A SHORTAGE of training sites for police dogs has prompted Dorset Police force to make a heartfelt plea to the public to access special premises.
The Force currently has more than 25 police dogs and, along with their handlers, they carry out regular training to ensure they are in tip-top crime fighting condition.
Training takes place in schools, industrial units, farm buildings or outdoors at sites across Dorset but the force is struggling to find suitable premises.
Dog Section Inspector Alan Ewart said: "Our police dogs are highly trained and provide an invaluable contribution to policing in Dorset.
"They are involved in the front line of crime detection and deterrence and their range of skills is vast - they are able to search for people, drugs, firearms and explosives, as well as assisting in public order incidents.
"We are currently looking for buildings to use to add variety to the dogs training. Taking part in training in buildings they have not been in before will also give the dogs a new challenge.
"We use a number of sites at the moment and are very grateful to members of the public who open up their premises and land for our use.
"However, we can never have too many sites when it comes to training, as each different building and location presents an opportunity for the dogs to gain more practice and sharpen their skills even further."
Training usually takes place in buildings such as schools, industrial units or farm buildings, or outdoors at sites across Dorset.
During the training, police dog handlers re-create incidents and scenarios so that the dogs can hone their skills in preparation for incidents.
The buildings being sought need to be of a fairly large size and could include office blocks, hotels, schools or industrial units and, ideally, the buildings will be vacant and in a reasonable state of repair.
The buildings are not necessarily needed on a long-term basis and sites that may only be vacant for a short time would be considered.
Dorset Police is not able to provide payment for any facilities offered, but the police presence provided by the dogs and their handlers provides a strong deterrent to crime.
If any members of the public have a suitable building they would be willing to let Dorset Police access for training purposes, please contact PC Colin Spender on 01202 or 01305 22 22 22.
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