Police dog handlers attend specialist course in the UK |04 March 2011

The training is in partnership with the Surrey Police and is funded by the UK government and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

British high commissioner Matthew Forbes handed air tickets to the officers in a short ceremony at the PSSW’s Petit Paris headquarters on Wednesday.

Attending the event were Minister for Home Affairs, Environment, Transport and Energy Joel Morgan, police Commissioner Ernest Quatre, head of the PSSW Chief Superintendent Guy Roucou and officers from the Police Department.

The project is part of the ongoing capacity-building work to help Seychelles combat piracy and follows a visit to Victoria by two officers from the Surrey Police dog unit.

The Surrey dog training school and operational dog section is a centre for excellence that provides training for dogs and their handlers from other UK forces and international law enforcement agencies.

Two of the Seychellois officers will take a three-month course with general purpose tracking dogs – which will be specially trained to help detect and catch burglars – and the other two an eight-week course with explosives detection dogs.

The UK police will supply the dogs, which will be between 18 months and two years old. The Seychellois officers will train and work with them, forming a partnership intended to last until the dogs are retired.

When the officers return, their dogs will have an adaptation period of 14 days, and instructors from the Surrey Police will spend a week with each of them before the handlers and their dogs become fully operational.

Mr Morgan said this is another step forward in developing the professionalism of the police force and is an example of collaboration between the UK police, UNODC and Seychelles.

He said the training will build on skills the officers already have and he encouraged them to get as much as possible from it. The work they will be doing in future will be very important for the security of the country, he added.

 “Our commitment to the continued enhancement and development of the police force, building it up to become a fully professional and able force, remains firm,” he said.

In a press release, Mr Forbes said being able to offer this comprehensive package, including an extended stay in the UK with the Surrey Police – highly reputed for dog training and handling –will have a real impact on everyday policing in Seychelles.

Mr Quatre said such a development is a very big boost to the fight against crime at all levels, especially when it comes to detection work.

“There is a lot going on right now in terms of capacity building to make our force more professional and more efficient, and we really appreciate the support of the UK government in helping us achieve our goals,” he said.

Sergeant Chris Sutherland, manager of the Surrey operational dog section, said having an effective dog unit should have a positive impact on crime levels.

“We have been impressed with the candidates we have helped to select for this training, and it is an excellent chance to develop a professional dog section and provide it with new dogs from the UK,” he said.

Mr Quatre said one of the returning officers will train other dog handlers in the force.

Twelve officers applied for the course and six were chosen. A further two officers will leave for the UK in May to take part in drug detection training with their dogs.




Mr Morgan, Mr Forbes and the other officers watched a short demonstration by the four officers and their dogs on how they work.

They also watched the new group of regular police officers following a civil disturbance course.

Speaking about this training, which started two weeks ago, Mr Quatre said capacity building is important for the police force, and in this context regular police and PSSW officers are now being trained in each other’s fields.

This means that both groups of officers can carry out street patrols together, he added.

Mr Quatre said the training is not new but is being reinforced as it is important for all officers to have a broader knowledge of the different areas of the force.

“After this training, all officers will be able to take action in situations that may arise, though each has a specialised unit,” he said.