Five new canine teams join the frontline from today to sniff out drugs and track violent offenders. Police Minister Michelle Roberts congratulated the WA Police Force’s newest four-legged recruits at a recent graduation ceremony held at Maylands.
“Our police animals are a real asset in the fight against crime. Whether it’s sniffing out meth and other narcotics or tracking and apprehending violent offenders, they play a crucial role in police operations around the State. I acknowledge their contribution, along with the commitment and skill of their trainers and handlers.” Minister Roberts commented.
Minister Roberts explained that the recruits are the first from the Dual-Purpose Police Dog Course – a national first – where the animals are trained as both general purpose and narcotic detection dogs. The recruits have successfully completed 18 weeks of training in all aspects of police work including narcotic and scent detection, offender tracking, bite and apprehension work.
Minister Roberts also took the opportunity to pay tribute to Police Dog Storm who passed away this week, aged 12. PD Storm served with the WA Police Force Canine Section from September 2007 to June 2015 when she retired aged nine. During her service, Storm performed duties throughout both regional and metropolitan WA and was responsible for detecting more than $6.5 million worth of drugs and cash.
The average working life of a police dog is seven years.

The graduating class of July 2018 is:
PD Raptor
PD Utah
PD Nacho
PD Johnny
PD Sidious
PD Jenson