A SECOND police dog unit has hit the ground running, this time out of the New England.
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The permanent canine police presence has started in Inverell after Police Dog Atlas and Police Dog Wags, together with their handler Senior Constable Chris Hill, clocked on for duty.
Atlas - a general purpose or tracking dog - and Wags - a cadaver or drug detection dog - come after Police Dog Alpha started sniffing out crime in Tamworth late last year, based out of the Oxley police area.
Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall said the double policing duo in Inverell was an 'historic moment in local policing'.
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"While the unit will be based in Inverell, it will be an extraordinary resource, which will be available for police in every community across the Northern Tablelands, from Mungindi to Ebor and up to Tenterfield," he said.
"Our police have always had to 'borrow' police dogs and handlers from as far away as Coffs Harbour or Sydney, which requires many weeks of notice and planning."
Police Dog Atlas and Police Dog Wags have already been called out for jobs, and have been used in a number of local police operations.
"Wags is one of only two cadaver trained police dogs in NSW, which is an enormous coup for us and will give our country police an extra resource when dealing with search and rescue operations or other more heinous crimes," Mr Marshall said.
"NSW Police Dogs are among the best trained in the world and provide assistance in a variety of circumstances including searches and drug, firearms and explosive detection.
"I believe the addition of two police dogs, based at Inverell, will be invaluable in acting as a deterrent for petty crimes such as theft, break-and-enter and trespass."
In 2018, Mr Marshall initiated a campaign to have facilities to house a Police Dog Unit included in the design for the Inverell Police Station, which is part of a $108m Multipurpose Police Station Program of capital works.
"Until now the New England Police District has never had its own dedicated dog unit to assist in keeping the community safe," Mr Marshall said.
"This is a huge win for our men and women in blue whose ability to track down, arrest and charge would-be criminals is now greatly enhanced."
