Cape Town City Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and Alderman JP Smith visited the Metro Police K-9 unit with the purpose to discuss unit’s expansion.
Picture: Supplied
Plans for a new training and kennel facility were also discussed in order to ensure the quality of service provided by the four-legged detectives remains exceptional.
Over the last year, the K-9 unit has taken part in more than 500 operations focused on drugs, firearms, explosives, copper theft, missing persons and with more than 192 drug-related arrests made over the same period.
‘This unit is a great example of how the City has invested in building a more capable and effective City police service,’ says Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis. ‘This unit has become a key part of our efforts to make Cape Town safer for all. Its success gives weight to the call we have been making for the devolution of more policing powers to the City.
‘We are implementing a record R5,4bn safety budget this year and deploying an additional 230 officers. We are doing everything within our limited ability and resources to make Cape Town safer,’ he adds.
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In order to qualify to serve the public, the dogs go through a rigorous three-month training course with tests aimed at assessing different disciplines and the dog’s overall temperament. The period serves as a time for the dogs to bond with their handlers and also assess their strong points, whether it be detecting narcotics or explosives.
Picture: Supplied
Once this phase of training is complete, the dogs become active recruits and are ready to go out in the field. The skills learnt in training are repeated regularly once they are working to ensure that the quality of detection is maintained until retirement.
‘The ongoing and undisputed value of our loyal K9s have secured a permanent position within the ranks of our Metro Police, but more so within the hearts of Cape Town’s citizens,’ Alderman JP Smith, the Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security,’ said.
‘The public’s heartfelt appreciation for these service animals is perhaps only outpaced by the love and trust that exists between each handler and their assigned K9 partner. We have already begun costing exercises to determine how best we are able to expand the unit, to allow us to offer even greater support to these various departments.’
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