NCJ Number
96481
Journal
International Criminal Police Review Issue: 375 Dated: (February 1984) Pages: 42-49
Date Published
1984
Length
8 pages
Annotation
Practical experience, confirmed and supported by scientific discoveries, led the Belgian police to use dogs regularly in police patrols, crime prevention, security activities, drug investigations, and searches for missing persons.
Abstract
The Gendarmerie's Training Center for Dogs selects and acquires new dogs, trains tracker dogs and narcotic detector dogs, selects and trains handlers, and supervises handlers. Fifty trained dogs are assigned to Gendarmerie units throughout Belgium. Dogs help police officers when they stop and question persons or when they patrol high crime areas or at events likely to attract criminals. The dogs also help the police guard people and property. Twelve narcotic detector dogs are currently used in Belgium. These dogs are trained to use their acute sense of smell to locate cannabis and its derivatives, raw opium, heroin, and cocaine. Two tracker dogs are assigned to each province. They are given special training in tracking and identifying human smells in order to track human beings, identify a suspect, and search for persons or for property. Four dogs are trained to detect explosives. Photographs are included.