NMPCC X ACT Dog Team
The National Missing Persons Coordination Centre (NMPCC) interviewed Canine Handler, Leading Senior Constable Peter Hockings and his canine Rogue, to learn about how the ACT Dog Team/AFP General Purpose Team assists in the search and rescue of missing persons.
When a member of the public is reported as missing, members from the AFP General Purpose Team will respond. “In the event that we're required to use a dog to locate and track a person who is missing, we are one of the first teams to respond to such an event, especially if it's a young child or an older elderly member of the community”. The AFP General Purpose Team currently has 5 General Purpose Dogs that are deployed in the ACT region as well as nationally and internationally to help bring loved ones home.
Leading Senior Constable Hockings explained how their canine partners assist in search and rescue missions and how environmental factors, such as high winds, can influence a canine's ability to track scents. Wind can disperse odours, making it more challenging for dogs to follow a direct trail. “Our dogs may not necessarily track and locate odour where the person walked, but the wind may have pushed the odour off to one side. So that's where the dog will be working when the odour pool is the strongest”.
The NMPCC and the AFP General Purpose Team are dedicated to continuing to assist in the search and location efforts for those who are missing.
Please see the full interview below:
