A police dog’s sniffer senses and determination mean they can hunt down suspects when they might have otherwise escaped, and uncover illicit items when they’re hidden.
It’s a well-known saying that dogs are man’s best friend, but when it comes to policing, they are also invaluable work colleagues too.
There are two types of dog which you can find in policing; search dogs, or ‘sniffer dogs’, who sniff out suspicious items and general purpose dogs, who chase and detain suspects. All have been highly trained and have gone through various assessments and training courses to ensure they are suited to the role.
Once they’ve passed their assessments and have a job with the force, police dogs are cared for by their dedicated handlers. Being a police dog, and a police dog handler, is a lifestyle.
Handlers have to ensure they have sufficient space and a kennel for their dogs at their family homes and their canine colleagues travel to and from work with them each day, where among training and other exercise they are ready to be called to an incident at a moment’s notice.
As well as being ready for urgent call-outs, the dogs are also involved in a number of pre-planned operations and patrols, and support various other departments in force with their important police work including finding missing people.
Nottinghamshire Police’s Dog Section have also welcomed seven new handlers in the last year, bringing new dogs with them, and here are some of the best and brightest members of the pack:
PD Quantum
PD Quantum is one brave police dog, and has had an eventful career with the force, bouncing back from injury a number of times. Whilst successfully chasing two violent burglars in Top Valley during March 2018, the now five-year-old Belgian Malinois and German Shepherd cross received stab injuries to his face.
Then in April 2020, he was hit by a plank of wood outside Nottingham railway station after assisting officers who had been assaulted by a man who they challenged for travelling without good reason amid Coronavirus restrictions.
However, this hasn’t stopped him and he can most recently be found on the latest season of TV documentary Police Interceptors with his handler PC Jen Ellse, where among many successes he was able to pick up a scent after finding a ditched car in Broxtowe Estate and tracked down two suspects who were hiding in a nearby garden.
Quantum joined the force in 2016 and passed his training in 2017, and has been with his handler PC Jen Ellse ever since.
Jen said: “Quantum really is a best friend and a work colleague wrapped into one. Our relationship really is like no other and I wouldn’t be without him.
“I know from past experience he will protect me at all costs and he is so clever with his senses and ability to track suspects who have got away from the immediate area and may have given us the slip otherwise.
“When he has a lead, I can just immediately tell and he is brilliant at taking me where we need to be.
“He is so brave and has such a wonderful personality too. I just feel really proud of the dog he’s become.”
PD Cooper
Cooper joined Nottinghamshire Police after his family got in touch feeling that he needed more of a challenge, and that he was simply too energetic in his usual family home setting despite getting a couple of hours of exercise a day. He passed his course and joined the force officially in February 2020, where he also joined the family of PC Jen Ellse and PD Quantum.
Cooper is a ‘sniffer’ dog and has been trained to search for a wide range of drugs, cash and firearms. He’s shown great success as a ‘sniffer’ dog, and during one particular job he helped uncover £3,000 in cash which was well hidden in between a radiator.
Jen said: “Over the last year or so Cooper has shown just how capable and talented he is, and that it was the right move for him to be challenged in a job such as this.
“He has an absolute tonne of energy but when that’s controlled and channelled into his police work, it’s what makes him a fantastic sniffer dog and so successful in helping us find drugs, cash and firearms.
“He is such a wonderful dog in terms of his personality too. He’s so enthusiastic about everything in life and has really fitted well with Quantum in the team we’ve got going together.”
PD Rambo
Throughout his career, Rambo has shown bravery and an instinct for the job. One standout job which Rambo was involved in was a short car chase where a man jumped into the back of a van and threatened to cause harm with a hammer.
Rambo spared no effort and quickly went in for the chase and caught him. Another suspect threw a wheely bin at Rambo whilst he was being chased, but some quick thinking from the canine cop meant he used it as a launch pad and quickly caught the man.
PD Rambo is a general purpose dog and has a long history of being out on the job and catching suspects. The three-year-old Belgian Malinois came to the force from Holland in 2018 and has been with his handler PC James Coupland ever since.
James said: “Rambo definitely has his work mode and his relax mode. When he gets his collar on, he knows he has to be switched on and he loves the chase.
“Once he’s locked on to a scent, it’s only a matter of time before he comes calling.
“He is a really social dog and has become a big part of our family during the time we’ve worked together. He can be cheeky and naughty but his personality is fantastic and he is absolutely a best friend as well as being a crucial work partner.”
PD Toby
Toby has had a number of successful detections throughout his career with Nottinghamshire Police, and on one particular occasion he indicated at a man walking through the town centre. After being stopped, he was found to have an amount of drugs on him and was also carrying a meat cleaver. Without Toby’s indication, the discovery more than likely wouldn’t have been made and these dangerous items wouldn’t have been seized as quickly.PD Toby is a Labrador and has been trained as a passive drugs dog who scans people as they walk by him and lets his handler know when he sniffs out something suspicious.
Born in April 2016, he was gifted to Nottinghamshire Police at a young age. A short time after qualifying, he joined with PC Saun Brown full time.
Saun said: “Toby is a very talented dog and a real asset to the team. He is also so placid and has become a huge part of our family.
“He loves getting as dirty as possible on his long walks and, in typical Labrador fashion, loves swimming.
“He is able to detect a number of different drugs, and has worked all over the region with his canine and human colleagues.
“He can can often be seen working in the town centres and train stations, scanning members of the public who pass by.
“If Toby indicates that he has sniffed out some drugs, his handler can then direct other officers to stop and speak with the person, which can sometimes lead to stop searches.”
PD Monty
At six years old, Monty is currently the oldest dog on the section, but he hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. He has made an appearance on the latest season of Police Interceptors where he was hot on the case after a man failed to stop for police. This led to a chase through Mansfield and into Shirebrook before the man dumped the car and ran off. Monty was then drafted in and he sniffed out the suspect before chasing and catching him not long after.
PD Monty is general purpose dog who was initially came from South Yorkshire. Once the German Shepherd had passed his training, he started to work the streets of Nottinghamshire, during which time he has proven himself as a police dog, finding and detaining criminals. He has recovered property from crime scenes, protected the public, his human colleagues and his handler, PC Saun Brown.
He is a German Shepherd and is trained to track and search for people, as well as use his skills to make sure criminals don’t escape once he has found them. Monty has also been known to rid suspects of dangerous objects they’ve had on them.
Saun said: “Monty and I both trained in South Yorkshire and he started his journey to becoming a police dog, just before his first birthday. It was quite clear that Monty enjoyed himself and would make a natural police dog.
“He is so clever, brave and has a natural instinct with his senses, which makes him extremely good at sniffing out the bad guys and keeping them where we want them.
“At home, he is an integral part of the family. He loves his long walks and then coming home to his favourite treats of carrots and, in the summer, ice cubes.”
