Officers searching for vital evidence will have an experienced nose at their disposal – a freshly qualified Labrador.
PD Sadie first joined Nottinghamshire Police in 2021 and has now completed her five weeks of specialist search training with a new handler.
The six-year-old fox red Labrador has been trained to sniff out drugs, cash, firearms, and ammunition at crime scenes.
She will be the first specialist search animal for experienced handler PC Sam Hawker, alongside his general-purpose dog PD Tuco.
The energetic Labrador was put through her paces in a series of search scenarios on 13 August, overseen by an external examiner.
PD Sadie successfully detected samples in dense woodland, inside buildings, and in and around a parked car.
The force utilises two types of police dogs: general-purpose animals adept at chasing and searching, and specialist search dogs, who can sniff out concealed drugs and other forensic evidence.
PC Dean Allen, an expert police dog trainer at Nottinghamshire Police, said: “A dog’s sense of smell is thousands of times more sensitive than our own and can be trained to detect a remarkable range of items.
“Everyday objects such as cash and prescription drugs each carry their own distinct scent, even when it is undetectable to people.
“PD Sadie has been an exemplary sniffer dog throughout her years of service, helping to uncover vital evidence at crime scenes and supporting countless policing operations.
“As she begins this next chapter with a new handler, she still has many valuable years ahead of her.
“Police dogs are a fundamental part of policing, providing a unique skill set that simply cannot be replicated by people or technology.
“Their contribution continues to play a crucial role in helping us protect communities and bring offenders to justice.”
