POLICE ASSOCIATION OF NOVA SCOTIA 25 PANS in the community The Bridgewater Police Service (BPS) is going to the dogs. That’s good news for law-abiding residents and visitors, but bad news for crooks. Police Chief John Collyer said his department is appealing to businesses, service clubs and individuals to contribute to the $20,000 cost of purchasing, training and equipping a police dog. More than $7,000 has been raised, including a recent $3,500 donation by AA Munro Insurance. “We donated because we wanted to support something this community really needs. I’m very excited and I hope the fundraising efforts are successful,” said broker Daphne Feener. “We donate money to many organizations and causes in Bridgewater, including the fire department and a breakfast program at Park View. Our owner, Harley MacCaull, encourages his employees across the province to support worthwhile charitable and community initiatives,” she said. Established in 1944, AA Munro Insurance operates in 23 locations in Nova Scotia. To minimize the impact on the police budget, Collyer said his department needs to raise the $20,000 before it commits to purchasing the dog. The dog will cost $10,000, then an additional $10,000 will be required to train the dog and handler, and to purchase specialized equipment and an enclosure. He said an existing police vehicle will be re-purposed, and he is seeking in-kind donations from suppliers. Retired BPS Staff Sgt. Al Cunningham has been assisting with fundraising efforts. “Ten thousand dollars might sound like a lot of money, but the dog we get will come with a warranty,” said Collyer. “If issues related to physical health or behaviour surface during its training, and the dog is not able to be certified, it can be returned to the breeder, and we get another dog.” The German Shepherd pups are brought from Europe to the United States by a trusted breeder located in the Midwest. Police forces in Halifax, New Glasgow and Truro obtained dogs from this breeder, and they have solid K-9 programs in place, so Collyer said he is comfortable following their advice. “The initial training by the breeder is like a boot camp for dogs. It’s a tough process for them. The dogs are trained to respond to basic commands, then at a certain age the dog would be sent to us for advanced training according to certification standards required by the province,” said Collyer. “We are very lucky because Halifax Regional Police has offered to train the dog and its handler. Following the 85day training period, there are 10 days of training for drug interdiction,” he said. The BPS has worked with dogs before, but this will be the first time its own dog is put into service. “About 22 years ago, Creig Veinot started handling bloodhounds for ground search-and-rescue purposes. He made a pitch to us to use his dogs for property and person searches. The use was limited as the dogs were not trained and certified for tactical takedowns or arrests,” said Collyer. “The dogs were simply to track somebody from a residence or business to wherever they went. We would start the dog at the crime scene, then follow it to where the trail takes it. Quite often we would recover stolen items along the way, or the dog would lead us to suspects,” he said. “Creig purchased these dogs out of his own pocket, which was huge for us because they are not cheap dogs. He has Bridgewater Police Service aims to raise $20,000 for police dog By Peter Simpson, South Shore Breaker – As originally published on December 21, 2015 AA Munro Insurance presented Bridgewater Police with a donation of $3,500 to help cover the cost of purchasing, training and equipping a police dog. continued...
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