Dyfed Powys Police Authority operates an independent Animal Welfare Lay Visitor Scheme.
The scheme enables appointed members of the local community, accompanied by professionals from animal welfare organisations such as the RSPCA, Dogs Trust and Animal Health Inspectors from the Local Authorities, to observe and report on the condition under which police dogs are housed, trained, transported and deployed.
The fourth annual seminar was held at Police Headquarters recently and colleagues from Gwent and South Wales were invited to see how the dogs section operates in Dyfed Powys.
There are 20 dog handlers in Dyfed Powys, three of whom are dedicated to the ports in Pembrokeshire. They have over 30 police dogs between them. In 2005, the dog handlers attended 3,262 incidents compared to 3,102 in 2004. This included searches for missing persons, searches for drugs, explosives and firearms and public order operations.
The Dyfed Powys dogs section also made 10 deployments to outside Forces and to date in 2006 they have responded to seven requests for assistance outside the Force area. This is testament to the skills within the section, which are held in high regard nationally.
The lay visitors commented on the excellent condition of the police dogs and praised the dog handlers for the way in which they cared for and trained their dogs. A number of replacement vehicles were purchased in 2005, fitted with air conditioning. Dogs at the port also acquired high visibility vests as an extra safety measure.
The lay vvisitors were treated to a demonstration of skills by the newly trained officers and their dogs. The chairman of the Police Authority, Clr. Don Evans stated: "We are very proud of our dogs section and their achievements nationally. They are a professional team and their skills have helped save many lives and assisted in some major inquiries."