A pioneering new team of police dogs has been trained to detect substances linked to spiking, adding another remarkable capability to the growing list of specialist roles performed by detection dogs.
The Joint Operations Unit (JOU), which provides specialist policing across Thames Valley Police and Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary, has launched the new capability to help officers identify people carrying substances associated with spiking and other harmful offences within the night-time economy.
Six dogs – Maverick, Puma, Dusty, AJ, Reggie and Major – have undergone extensive specialist training and can detect drugs commonly linked to spiking offences, including substances carried in very small quantities or in liquid form.
The new capability has also been recognised by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and is now included within the national police dog portfolio.
Putting a dog’s nose to work
Dogs possess an extraordinary sense of smell and have long worked alongside police to detect substances that would be extremely difficult for humans to find unaided.
The new team will use those abilities during proactive policing operations, supporting JOU officers and local policing teams across both force areas.
According to Thames Valley Police, the dogs have already demonstrated their effectiveness operationally, making numerous detections of controlled drugs, including cocaine.
Their role is not simply about detection. Police hope the presence of the dogs will also act as a deterrent and help prevent offences before they happen.
The initiative has been introduced as students arrive at universities across the Thames Valley and Hampshire for the start of the new academic year, when many will be exploring unfamiliar towns and cities and their night-time venues for the first time.
It forms part of the two forces’ wider work to tackle violence against women and girls and improve safety within the night-time economy.
While Thames Valley Police says incidents of spiking remain low, it stresses that prevention is just as important as enforcement.
Chief Constable Jason Hogg said the new capability gives officers “an additional tool to identify and deter those carrying substances linked to spiking offences”, with the aim of preventing harm before it occurs.
He also welcomed its inclusion in the NPCC police dog portfolio, describing it as an example of innovation and partnership working between the two forces.
Campaigner and former Love Island contestant Sharon Gaffka, who has previously spoken publicly about being spiked during a night out in 2020, has also welcomed the use of the dogs as a preventative measure.
For Maverick, Puma, Dusty, AJ, Reggie and Major, their new role demonstrates just how valuable the canine sense of smell can be – and how dogs’ remarkable natural abilities continue to be harnessed in increasingly specialist ways to help keep people safe.
L-R: Puma, AJ, Dusty, Maverick, Reggie
