A MEDAL ceremony with a furry twist was held last week with the inaugural Queensland Police Service Canine Service Medal awarded.
To be eligible for the honour, recipients must have served in the QPS for a minimum of five years, with 40 Queensland Police Service Police Dogs recognised for their role keeping the community safe.
The general-purpose police dogs (PDs) and their handlers play an important operational role in the QPS, helping to track and arrest offenders, while detection dogs are trained to distinguish certain scents in a range of scenarios to support investigative activities.
The QPS Dog Squad has grown considerably in strength and size since it officially began in December 1972, with police dogs now an integral part of frontline policing.
Among the recipients being honoured in the first round of Canine Service Medals is the 12-year-old PD Kaos, accompanied by his handler, Senior Constable Jim Griffiths.
Kaos displayed outstanding service and bravery during his time in the line of duty between 2014 and 2021, helping to bring countless offenders to justice.
On February 2, 2020, Kaos was seriously injured when stabbed during the arrest of two offenders in Gordon Park.
He eventually recovered from his injuries, before returning to work a month later to continue protecting the community.
PD Kaos is now retired, and his efforts were honoured to reflect his outstanding contribution.
The nomination process for the Canine Service Medal will soon be available retrospectively for dogs who served in the QPS from the year 1990 onwards.
State Police Minister Mark Ryan said the Canine Service Medal was an important way to honour the police dogs who work in the QPS, and to recognise their critical role is in keeping the Queensland community safe.
Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said: “The Dog Squad is a remarkable capability that delivers outstanding operational success right across Queensland to keep our community safe.
“Our canine capability complements the tremendous work of our on-road crews, and the ability of police dogs to apprehend offenders quickly significantly enhances our tactical response to prevent further crime.”
