Police dogs on paw patrol at South Devon schools
Jasper and Skye help students learn about roles of police dogs in the community
Students and staff at secondary schools in Newton Abbot and Ashburton received a visit from two special canine guests this week.
Police dogs Jasper and Skye, accompanied by their handlers and the Ashburton & Chudleigh Neighbourhood Policing Team, visited several schools including Newton Abbot College, Coombeshead Academy, Teign School, South Dartmoor Community College, and South Devon University Technical College on 9th March.
These visits were conducted as an educational exercise, providing students with an opportunity to see the dogs at work and understand their contributions to community safety.
PC Jo Gilbrook emphasised that the visits were not part of a targeted search operation but were meant to educate and engage with young people regarding policing.
"We want to reassure parents this was about sharing knowledge and not a targeted search operation," PC Gilbrook said.
Schools have their own policies when it comes to student behavior and, if necessary, staff can search students’ bags, but the focus this week was purely educational.
"A big thank you to the staff and students who welcomed us into their schools, it was a pleasure to meet them," PC Gilbrook added.
Jasper and Skye are part of the Devon & Cornwall Police Force's team of drugs dogs, participating in various specialist operations including Pubs Against Drugs (PAD) initiatives, which are conducted across licensed venues to ensure customer safety.