New technology improves safety for police dogs during searches
Axon Body 4 cameras offer real-time insights to handlers
Police dogs, crucial in search operations for years, are now safer thanks to new technology being rolled out by the force.
Handlers can now gain real-time insights from their dogs using the innovative Axon Body 4 cameras.
This technology aids in decision-making during searches, enhancing safety for both officers and their canine partners.
Firearms Support Dogs (FSD) have been utilising the cameras' live streaming capabilities effectively in high-risk operations.
These scenarios include searches for suspects, missing persons, and environments demanding quick situational assessments.
The journey to this technological advancement required ingenuity.
Officers started adapting and testing harness designs, as no existing solution met operational requirements.
Utilising a standard tracking harness as a baseline, the team refined it through trial and error until achieving a practical result.
PC Craig Neeson, a dog handler, explained:
"There wasn’t anything on the market that did what we needed it to do."
"The military-style options were very expensive, so we worked with what we had and kept refining it until it was fit for purpose."
The resulting harness allows handlers to focus on their dogs while streaming video footage to handheld devices.
This initiative is part of a wider rollout of Axon Body 4 cameras and continued investment in technology to enhance policing, safety, and investigations.