Dog Unit on Praslin gives more teeth to fight against crime |24 July 2015
The police have said that with the setting up of their dog unit on Praslin, they hope to improve service delivery, increase police visibility and also improve response times when assistance is requested.
The need for a Dog Unit on Praslin is due to the frequent requests from Praslin to send a police dog from Mahé to assist at crime scenes, especially in burglary, housebreaking, stealing and any serious crimes where a suspect could be hiding in the bush.
The two dogs – a drug detention dog named Snoopy and a patrol dog named Argo -- are stationed on Praslin and this number is hoped to grow in the future as resources allow.
Snoopy is an English cocker spaniel who can search for drugs in buildings, cars, vessels, open terrain, containers and luggage. The search can be done more quickly and thoroughly by the dog and can cover a larger area than that of a policeman on foot.
Argo, a German shepherd, is expected to search for concealed suspects in both buildings and the bush, track suspects at crime scenes, apprehend fleeing suspects and give protection to its handler when necessary.
Although the dogs are stationed on Praslin, they will also provide assistance to the La Digue police station when necessary and conduct random patrols.
The dog unit on Praslin became operational on Wednesday July 15, and although still learning the area, had an immediate positive impact while responding to a recent coco de mer poaching incident.
“This highlights the effectiveness of the dogs, especially at night in search of hidden suspects, thanks to their strong senses of smell and hearing,” a communique from the police said.
The police department hopes that the setting up of this dog unit will benefit the Praslin community and assist the police in their fight against crime.
“The setting up of this Dog Unit highlights the seriousness of the police in their effort to fight crime and to create a safer environment for all in the community,” added the communique.