Published on | #WeAre50
They’re our four-legged friends who play an important role in catching criminals across the West Midlands.
Our cute but clever police dogs have been a much-valued part of our policing response for many decades now.
While the breeds involved have evolved, so have the skills of our canine crimefighters due to our puppy development programme at Balsall Common.
Alongside their running capabilities and sense of smell to sniff out suspects, they can now also be specially-trained to detect signs of drugs, be used in recoveries or trace explosives or electronic devices which could be linked to criminal activity.
Our first crime-fighting canine was black labrador PD Don, who was based in Walsall with their handler Pc George Cleobury from August 1939.
Then Pc John Blackhall became the first dog handler in Birmingham with Alsatian PD Flash in December 1951.
They were followed 10 years later when Coventry welcomed PDs Flame, Blaze and Dante. Chief Constable Edward Pendleton chose a fire theme as a tribute to those lost during the Coventry Blitz.
It took until 1979 for the first woman to become a police dog handler with Elizabeth Dixon serving with PD Czar.
We now operate one of the largest and most successful police dog breeding schemes in the country at Balsall Common with canine cadets graduating through training onto the streets to fight crime and keep the public safe.
We reached a milestone in welcoming our 1,000th puppy five years ago and regularly have new litters throughout the year.
Sometimes we’ve named them after inspirational figures, prominent TV characters and with your help sporting stars.
This includes current England football captain Harry Kane who’s namesake PD Kane – a three-year-old Belgian Malinois – has already proved prolific in his field of work.
This summer he’s been involved in a series of activity which includes netting someone who was believed to be linked to a shooting in Birmingham and locating a bike stolen following a knife point robbery in Coventry.
We’re always keen to hear from people who would be able to assist with the development of our puppies and become a fosterer.
For more information click here.
We’re highlighting the history of our dogs as celebrate the 50th anniversary of West Midlands Police #Weare50.
We are marking this special occasion by showcasing our heritage; and how policing has changed and progressed during the decades.
Follow our social media channels to keep up to date with the latest stories and heritage pieces.