Courtesy Photo | An Iraqi police officer, left, and his working dog move through a training exercise...... read more read more
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Story by: Sgt. Joseph Weichel
BAGHDAD—Soldiers with the 94th “Patriot” Military Police Company, attached to Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, United States Division – Center, have spent the last year helping to develop the Iraqi Police by implementing training programs designed to improve the tactics and procedures of Iraqi law enforcement. One of the programs “Patriot” MPs and the Iraqi Police have worked on together is a working dog training course located at the Criminal Justice Center in Baghdad.
“The [working dog] course has brought Iraq another step closer to the goal of self-governance and security,” said Capt. Benjamin Hall, commander of the 94th MP Company and a Norwell, Mass., native. “Having working dogs to do things that people simply cannot is an important part of policing.”
Working dogs are typically used in policing to help investigate crime scenes, guard sensitive areas, and track and possibly bring down suspected criminals. Their well-developed sense of smell can be a major factor in a successful investigation, Hall said.
Hall assisted the IP with the creation of a new canine course, which was primarily designed by Sgt. Michael Sebor, a military police officer with the 94th MP Company and a Manchester, N.H., native.
There have been several rehearsals and meetings scrubbing the curriculum the past two months in order to prepare the instructor and facility for the course, Sebor said.
Classes are scheduled to start in early March and each class will be capable of supporting more than 20 dogs and handlers at a time.
“Some of the subjects that will be taught at the [CJC] are the role of working dogs in law enforcement, canine first aid, health care and grooming of canines and working dog standards of training,” said Sgt. Shaun Bellao, a military police officer with the 94th MP Company and a Brockton, Mass., native.
Taking care of the well-being of working dogs will be a focus of the training.
“One of the goals of the course is to teach handlers the importance of veterinary care and how to promote the health of their canine,” said Sebor.
In addition to the classroom curriculum, the CJC plans to offer the working dog handlers access to a new eight-event obstacle course. The obstacle course is designed to test the dogs’ agility, tracking skills, and the effectiveness of the training.
Incorporating working dog training allows IP officers to develop and train their dogs to ensure safety and efficiency on the streets, Sebor said.
| Date Taken: | 02.12.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 03.01.2011 06:14 |
| Story ID: | 66278 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 99 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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