The municipal police department of Santa Cruz de Tenerife will be the sole force in Spain to possess, throughout this year, a canine unit specialised in detecting human remains and locating corpses, a role previously carried out exclusively by dogs from the National Police.
The City Council, through its Department of Safety and Emergencies, will commence training for local officers in this area starting next October. The specialisation will be provided to members of the municipal canine unit by highly regarded police instructors renowned in this field.
The councillor for the area, Gladis de León, informed DIARIO DE AVISOS yesterday that “this groundbreaking training initiative for the agents of the municipal Police of Santa Cruz will ensure that the canine unit of the capital is the first to achieve this specialisation this year among local or municipal police forces across the country.”
De León further stated that “this year we are making significant investments in the training of police officers via the Local Security Academy, where eleven specialised courses have been conducted so far, with a total of 35 editions, as many of them have been repeated in various sessions due to their significance or interest.”
De León explained that “this innovative training course will now be provided for members of the Santa Cruz canine unit, aimed at training dogs to search for human remains, which will assist in investigations into missing persons.”
The canine unit of the local police in the capital, now referred to as a group of canine handlers, was established in 1997 and has contributed significantly throughout its existence with working dogs, whether in rescue operations, detection of narcotics or security measures.
In a related note, the Councillor for Security emphasised that, “beyond crucial regulatory updates and training for enhancing police service, for interventions on public roads, or the protection of officers during their duties, the courses provided to local police officers are vital for the appropriate use of defensive measures, the operation of semi-automatic defibrillators available, and the handling of electronic control devices.”
A comprehensive range of training sessions for police officers in Santa Cruz will soon encompass the training of dogs to search for, locate and recover corpses, human remains, and biological fluids.
