The document discusses the Dog Support Unit in Victoria Police and provides details about their roles, training, and involvement in investigations. The Dog Squad was established in 1975 and uses dogs specialized in narcotics detection, explosives detection, and general tracking and searching. They assist police in apprehending suspects, searching for evidence and missing persons, and providing security. The summaries of articles provided show the Dog Squad helping locate 17 stolen puppies, tracking down an armed robber, assisting at a suspicious death scene, and aiding in a drug raid.

1. Dog Support Unit By Sammy and Emma, Year 10 Legal Studies

2. Dog Squad The Dog Squad came into existence in 1975 and has been protecting the community through various duties ever since.

3. Reasons for the existence of this squad This squad is needed to protect the public and assist in investigations. The dogs are useful and essential because they can perform many duties such as following tracks and detecting drugs, they can also crawl and jump into places that humans cannot. Dog’s natural instinct and nose ability cannot be mirrored by humans, making the dog support unit vital in many cases. They are a useful tool in the police force because of the unique activities they are able to perform. They are able to catch offenders, lead searches and conduct rescues, in many cases police officers cannot perform the duties they do, and this is why they are critical.

4. Special Training and skills required:-searching for suspects and missing people-locating items dropped or hidden during a criminal incident-following a track left by a person on the ground-Chasing and detaining a person who runs away when challenged to stop-disarming violent suspects and controlling aggressive crowds The handler: The handler must be a qualified police officer. They must have a suitable space for the dog they are training in their home. Over years the aim is that the dog and handler develop a good relationship and can work together effectively.

5. Specific Areas Dogs are trained into a unit so that they can specialise in one specific area. The units are: general purpose, narcotics and explosives. They perform many jobs to help protect the community. Narcotics detection dogs:These dogs are trained for searches of houses, cars and personal belongings. For this usually female German Shepards and Labradors are used, since they are smaller than the males.

6. Explosive detection dogs:These dogs are highly trained in searching for bombs and other explosive devices. They often search buildings, cars and personal belongings. They also work along Special Operations Group and bomb technicians. General purpose dogsThey are highly skilled in tracking and searching. This is so that the can find hidden items and search for missing people. They perform duties such as protecting life and property. They are often used as a guard dog. They are trained by a handler and stay with that handler. The dogs used are male German Shepards and Labradors as they are physically strong. These dogs are most needed at night.

7. Interesting information about the Dog Squad -As part of every dogs training they have to complete an agility course including hurdles, ladders, planks, tunnels, fences and other objects a dog may come across on the job. - German shepherds and Labradors are the most common breed of dog used by the Victorian Police unit. - Some people think that the narcotic detection dogs are addicted to the drugs they are trained to locate, in fact the dogs are rewarded when they find a smell they were trained for. - At 9-10 weeks of age the pups are taken to local families for basic dog training, until they are returned at age 1 to the police force, ready for training. - Other than explosives the dogs are able to detect human remains.

8. Articles in where the Dog Squad is involved Dog squad rescues 17 'stolen' puppies November 18, 2009 Barking pups raised the alarm when three would-be thieves allegedly tried to dog-nap them in Melbourne's east early today. A neighbour called police after hearing breaking glass and barking coming from a Ringwood East pet store on Bedford Street about 1am. Police arrived to find a man and woman in the back of the store and several empty pens. Advertisement: Story continues below It was the dog squad that found the 17 yapping puppies tearing up a car parked in nearby Marwarra Road a short time later. A third person was also found in the car. "The owner of the pet store was delighted to be reunited with her stolen puppies, which had made quite a mess in the back of the car," a police spokeswoman said. A 17-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy, both from Pakenham, have been charged with burglary, theft and going equipped to steal. Police released a 20-year-old Narre Warren woman pending a summons. A police spokeswoman said the puppies were back with their owner and "sleeping off their ordeal".

9. Dog squad rescues 17 'stolen' puppies November 18, 2009 Barking pups raised the alarm when three would-be thieves allegedly tried to dog-nap them in Melbourne's east early today. A neighbour called police after hearing breaking glass and barking coming from a Ringwood East pet store on Bedford Street about 1am. Police arrived to find a man and woman in the back of the store and several empty pens. Advertisement: Story continues below It was the dog squad that found the 17 yapping puppies tearing up a car parked in nearby Marwarra Road a short time later. A third person was also found in the car. "The owner of the pet store was delighted to be reunited with her stolen puppies, which had made quite a mess in the back of the car," a police spokeswoman said. A 17-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy, both from Pakenham, have been charged with burglary, theft and going equipped to steal. Police released a 20-year-old Narre Warren woman pending a summons. A police spokeswoman said the puppies were back with their owner and "sleeping off their ordeal".

10. Blood on bridge near body November 24th 2009 POLICE in Cairns are investigating the discovery of a man's body on a footbridge in the suburb of Westcourt this morning. Blood stains could be seen on the footbridge where the man in his 40s was found dead overnight, The Cairns Post reports. Nearby business owners say the bridge, which is about 10m long and goes over a storm water drain on Brown St, near the corner of Mulgrave Rd, is regularly used by early morning and late night revellers. Officers were called to the scene at the intersection of Mulgrave Road and Brown Street about 1.40am today.The victim is believed to be in his 40s and his death is being treated as suspicious.Police have ruled out the possibility he was struck by a car.A crime scene has been declared and forensic officers, detectives, and the dog squad are involved in the investigation.

11. Sleeping man nabbed metres from store he robbed March 21st 2011 The dog squad found a bandit sleeping in an alley just 300m from a convenience store he robbed last night. Police have been told a man walked into the convenience store in Station St, Fairfield, about 11pm. The attendant believed the bandit had a knife after seeing a flash of silver when the man lifted jumper. The man demanded cash and cigarettes, which the attendant placed in a green enviro shopping bag. The offender fled the store and was last seen heading south on Station St. Police were called and a dog from the canine unit located a scent to track and followed it to a nearby alley. Investigators arrested the sleeping Fairfield man, 51. He is assisting police with their inquiries.

12. Six charged in drugs crackdown March 17th 2011 Six people have been charged after police carried out raids on the south coast of NSW in a crackdown on the supply of ice and cannabis. About 9.30am (AEDT) yesterday police with assistance of the Dog Squad raided four houses in Kotara Crescent, Albert Street, Keith Place and Mianga Crescent in Unanderra. Ice, cannabis, cannabis seeds, cash and stolen property including tool sets and sports equipment were found during the search. Two men, aged 31 and 43, as well as a 37-year-old woman were arrested at the Kotara Crescent home and charged with various accounts of supply prohibited drugs. All three were refused bail to appear in Wollongong Local Court today. During the operation police also arrested and charged a 60-year-old man with possess prohibited drug and possess equipment for administering prohibited drug. Another man, aged 41, was charged with two counts of possess prohibited drug and one count each of goods in custody and possess prohibited weapon. Both men were granted bail to appear in Wollongong Local Court on Wednesday 6 April. A 24-year-old woman was issued a court attendance notice for the offences of cultivate prohibited plant and possess prohibited drug. She is expected to appear at Wollongong Local Court on Tuesday 3 May 2011.

13. Summary of Articles Article 1: In this situation the dog squad unit was able to catch two thieves and locate the missing puppies. The dogs would have used their intense sense of smell to track down the stolen puppies. This job would have been much harder had it of been performed by police officers. Article 2: Canine dogs were brought to the case after an armed robber stole from a service station and threatened the operator. The dog squad unit tracked down and caught the man after being led by a scent left at the scene of the crime. Article 3: After the suspicious death of a man in his 40’s the dog squad unit has been called upon to help unravel the mystery. The man was found dead and dripping with blood early one morning, with no obvious cause of death. The dog squad unit will pick of scents and follow tracks to assist in the investigation. Article 4: The dog squad assisted in a drug raid where three people were arrested for theft and supplying illicit drugs. The dogs were highly trained in the detection of drugs and thus were able to catch the criminals.

14. Becoming a police officer The first step to becoming a police officer is to take the entrance exam. This is a three hour exam, and an application form to become a member of the Victorian Police will not be provided until the exam has been effectively completed. The exam had five parts to it:-spelling and comprehension-maths-reasoning and ability-English skills, grammar, vocabulary and reading comprehension-writing taskHowever if you do fail one component of the exam you may re-sit that particular component.

15. The second step occurs when you have passed the entrance exam. You will receive a letter confirming your results and an application pack. This pack includes:-an application form-consent to check records form, and-initial employment details forms After all the required information has been filled out you should make an appointment to meet with a sergeant at the nearest police station, taking along all the required forms you have completed along with originals and certified copies of:-entrance exam result-birth certificate-any name change document-education results-Australian citizenship/permanent residency documentation-manual driver’s licence-Level 1 First Aid qualification

16. Step three is where a background check is done. To be eligible for the Victorian Police you must havea good reputation and uphold a certain standard of conduct. If you have a series of offending or inappropriate behaviour it may prohibit you from consideration. Now all your information and application will be assessed, if misleading information was provided you will no longer be considered. Step four is when a medical assessment is done. You will be sent a medical release form and medical certification booklet. Once you have completed the medical release form you may take part in the fitness and psychological testing component (step five). You then need to visit a general practitioner to have a medical examination completed. You will also need to attend an audiologist for hearing and an optometrist for a vision assessment. Once this has been done you can return the medical booklet to the Police Medical Officer, who will assess it. You will then undergo a random urine sample for alcohol and other drugs; you will be given 48 hours notice to provide a sample.You must also ensure that you are vaccinated against Hepatitis B.

17. If you pass all medical requirements you move on to step five – fitness and psychological. The fitness section requires that you do a:-Grip test - which tests the strength of your fore and upper arm, you must be able to squeeze 30 kilograms in each arm -Illinois agility run - tests your agility and speed, needs to completed in under 20seconds -20m shuttle run – tests your aerobic fitness and you must reach between level 6-10 -Push ups – test your upper body and core strength and 5 must be completed -Prone bridge - tests your core abdominal strength and you must hold the position for 60 seconds -Obstacle climb - tests your functional ability to climb an object, the objects will be 1.3m and you must clime it in a controlled manner. -100 metre swim – tests your ability in water, you must do 100m in 4 minutes without stopping You are allowed two attempts at the physical test within the one application period. The psychological test involves using the Minnesota personality Inventory as its screening tool. Your scores are recorded and interpreted by a psychologist. If you pass both sections of step 5 you continue on to the next step.

18. Step six is where you face the selection panel. The panel looks for applicants who demonstrate behaviour consistent with the organisational values and attendant behaviours. You will be asked behavioural-based questions. Your responses should include examples of behaviour or experiences that demonstrate your ability to meet the correct standards. You need to achieve a minimum standard in each area. Step seven is your final assessment. Once you have completed every other step an overall assessment is undertaken by the Recruiting Services. You will be advised within two weeks of the outcome of the assessment and your results in the selection process. The last step is step eight, the candidate pool. This means that if completed all steps successfully you will be awarded your final score based on the entrance exam, selection panel interview, and bonus points if applicable. This is the beginning of your career as you are now placed in the pool of candidates, awaiting your introduction to the police force.

19. After you are in the police force you continue your training. This is done by training at the police academy as a recruit. You are there for 33 weeks and the program is intended to teach you skills, knowledge and confidence, all of which you will need on the job. You do academic subjects such as:-law and policing procedures-communication skills-scenario training-computers and keyboardingThe physical training includes:-operational policing drills-water safety-defensive tactics-firearms training-physical education Police Academy

20. After successfully completing week 12 you will be sworn in as a Probationary Constable. This means that you may not take part in placements at operational areas. At week 13 you are placed at the Watch House and Station Administration Duties, this allows you to take part in counter inquiries, station administration, and prisoner management and watch duties. At week 18 you are qualified in Operational Tactics and Safety Training. Your now have the focus on crime. This means you now get to leave the station and assist with operational duties. You will mainly be focussed on areas such as: arrests, interviews and investigations. At week 26 you will be focusing on policing roads. You will work with a divisional van or car crew on usual duties, on the highway.To pass all the required training sessions dedication is needed to succeed. You must show that you have the personal qualities, temperament and attitude to be an effective contributor to the police force. After your graduation you will start a two-year probationary period as a constable.