In 2016 , K9 officers attended 2078 calls which resulted in 65 dog arrests and 24 other arrests .
All of the dogs in the unit are considered dual purpose with the primary role of tracking and doing various types of searches including open area , evidence , building , vehicle and human scent searches . The dog ’ s secondary purpose is to detect narcotics , firearms and ammunition .
“ Three of the current five active Windsor dogs have been cross trained in this manner while the remaining two dogs have been cross trained to detect explosives ,” said Wilson .
The dog unit is typically dispatched to priority calls where there is a chance of someone fleeing the scene on foot or hiding , like robberies in progress , commercial and residential alarms , break and enters in progress and things of that nature . Wilson , who keeps track all of the dog unit statistics , notes in 2016 they attended 2078 calls which resulted in 65 dog arrests and 24 other arrests .
Officers work 12 hour shifts running back-to-back and there is always a day and night dog on duty with other officers commonly available on call if needed in an emergency .
Wilson encourages potential candidates to attend the unit ’ s weekly training days to see if it is actually what they want to do , while also allowing the handlers to get to know the potential new candidates and their compatability with the dogs .
“ We both have the same type of bond between us and both dogs are caring toward me , especially Quincy , who is more socialized and loves everybody ,” Wilson said . “ Vegas is very affectionate , but only to me and nobody else . It ’ s definitely a more unique bond between Vegas and myself but it ’ s mostly because I ’ m the only one who interacts with him .”
Generally , dog unit officers work one term with an active dog , then go back to regular patrolling . Wilson has worked as a K-9 officer for 13 years while Quincy lives his retired years at home with Wilson and his family , as is the option chosen by most officers .
According to the Windsor Police Service website , the WPS Canine Unit is one of the most successful and well-regarded Police Dog Units in North America and the recipients of numerous trophies and awards . On January 20 , WPS held a gathering to celebrate 2 special occasions related to the Canine Unit . The first was the formal announcement of the retirement of Police Service Dog ( PSD ) Aron , who served the community for 6 years . During that time , he attended over 2000 calls for service , assisted in over 50 arrests , and on 3 occasions he was named Champion in competitions with the United States Police Canine Association . PSD Aron is now 8 and a half years old - which makes him almost 60 years old in human years - and most deserving of an enjoyable retirement .
Taking his place , effective January 23 , is new recruit PSD Fuse , who will be hitting the road with his handler Pc Kris Lauzon . PSD Fuse arrived in Windsor from Slovenia in September 2016 and has been training with his handler and preparing for duty .
Rob Wilson and his K9 partner Vegas are part of the Windsor Police Services Canine Unit - one of the most successful and well-regarded canine units in North America