Alberta RCMP Police Dog Services had busy 2020

By Janet Kanters, Editor

Alberta RCMP Police Dog Services (PDS) responded to 2,800 calls for service and captured over 900 criminals in 2020.

Of these 2,800 calls, approximately 650 involved firearms or other weapons, 570 involved violence-related offences, 450 calls were for missing people and over 950 calls were for property crime related offences. In addition, PDS deployed in a tracking profile over 700 times which resulted in 400 captures.

According to Cpl. Scott Lowe with Edmonton West Police Dog Services, the majority of 2020 was spent with Albertans experiencing some stage of lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Despite these unique circumstances, there was no shortage of work for our Police Dog Service teams,” he said. “Part of why they are so busy is their key role in rural property crime initiatives. PDS teams are used in a primary role in locating and apprehending rural property crime suspects.”

The Alberta RCMP PDS is comprised of 18 teams strategically placed throughout the province. These teams are trained to track, as well as search for, suspects/missing persons, crime scene evidence, firearms, as well as controlled substances or explosives. 

All Alberta RCMP Police Service Dogs are purebred German shepherds. The RCMP has been breeding German shepherds since 1999. They are able to produce enough puppies to satisfy their training needs and no dogs are purchased for training. Generally, one in three puppies will become an RCMP working dog or breeding female.