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Tasmania Police Dog Unit Being Expanded

The Minister for Police and Emergency Management, Jim Cox, recently announced that the Tasmania Police Dog Handling Unit was being expanded with the addition of two drug-detection dogs.

Mr Cox said the new dogs would give Tasmania Police a dedicated drug-detection capability, having previously used drug-detection dogs through a co-operative arrangement with Australian Customs.

“For people hiding drugs, these dogs are their worst nightmare.

“The dogs and their handlers will be used in conjunction with investigations carried out by Drug Investigation Services to locate drugs in premises, vehicles, or wherever officers require.

“For the first time, Tasmania Police will have its own highly-trained drug-detection dogs to crackdown on illicit drugs in our State and help Tasmania Police prosecute criminals who deal in these substances.”   

Mr Cox said four additional Tasmanian Police officers have completed a six-week course of study to become the dogs’ handlers through a partnership with South Australia police.

“The two new dogs will expand the role of the existing Dog Handling Unit, which has two explosive-detection dogs.

“The expansion demonstrates the State Government’s commitment to ensuring Tasmania remains the Safest State in the country by having an resource that can assist in detecting illicit drugs and continue to detect a range of explosives and explosive residues,” Mr Cox said.

Mr Cox said the new dogs’ primary role would be to assist police during the execution of search warrants.

“One each of the new dogs, and their handlers, will be based in the North and South of the State, but they will have the capability of providing coverage across Tasmania,” Mr Cox said.

(2 May 2008)