The Reykjavík Police Force is looking at ways to utilize dogs for purposes other than seeking and finding illegal drugs. Hördur Jóhannesson, deputy sheriff, said that police in Reykjavík had been looking into using dogs to help in difficult situations like riots and to seek and find other things than drugs, Fréttabladid reported.
A working committee has been looking into the utilization of police dogs in Reykjavík and the South region. The committee discovered there are already enough dogs utilized by police and customs that specialize in seeking and finding illegal drugs.
“We haven’t taken any decisions yet but are thinking about two things in particular; in the light of customs having enough dogs that are trained to seek and find drugs we are adequately served in that respect. If that is the case we are thinking about getting other types of dogs, for instance dogs that would be used to exert force and could be used in case of riots occurring and similar instances. At the same time we would be looking for seeker-dogs that could find other things than drugs, for instance objects and biological traces,” said Jóhannesson.
He added that the authorities, customs and police, were looking into cooperation regarding dogs that were trained for finding and seeking drugs. Then new dogs would be trained for other purposes.
“It is only a matter of organization. We have had five to six dog trainers and tried all sorts of arrangements in the past, both with the Reykjavík police force and in neighbor towns. At present we are looking at opportunities to make this smoother and that not all municipalities will keep dogs for seeking and finding drugs. The quality and the effectiveness of the dogs is based on constant training and use,” said Jóhannesson.
