Whether it concerns murder, drug crimes or the discovery of explosives: the four-legged police sleuths are trained to deal with difficult cases. More than 200 assistance dogs have undergone special training throughout Austria. In the middle of the training in Eisenstadt the alarm went off: manhunt, smuggler arrested!
Just like with people, noise or fire can cause stress in dogs. In order to act correctly in exceptional situations, police dogs perform special exercises once a month. On average, young detectives have to go to lessons every two weeks. “Our four-legged colleagues have to get used to difficult circumstances, as can be the case during operations,” explain the professionals of the assistance dog team. The last training took place at the State Fire Command in Eisenstadt.
Use under distraction
“In the fire school, our assistance dogs were prepared for the so-called major security and order service, GSOD for short. The focus of all exercises was on operational situations with distraction caused by noise, fire and heat,” says state instructor Jochen Berghöfer. The district inspector belongs to the service dog station of the Zemendorf police station. Other Burgenland bases of this type are located in Königsdorf, Bernstein and Frauenkirchen. A total of 25 four-legged friends are on duty under the auspices of the state police.
Animals need to feel comfortable
Across Austria, 242 guide dogs have undergone special training, including eight personal dogs, 88 narcotics dogs, 45 explosives dogs, 18 incendiary dogs and 17 corpse and blood detection dogs. 46 faithful companions alongside their “masters” show off their skills as emergency dogs in the Alps. The executive power has been working with four-legged comrades since 1908.
“The training of guide dogs has changed significantly over the past thirty years,” the Home Office said. Training is aimed at reward. “The same process has taken place in human education. “Dogs only learn well when they feel comfortable – just like people,” says an experienced civil servant. The tasks of guide dogs are diverse. The smart animals can respond quickly. This was evident from the case of a smuggler. The alarm went off during a training session in Eisenstadt.
22 refugees in the hold
Around 10:30 am, officers noticed a suspicious box truck driving from the S31 from Mattersburg onto the southeastern highway towards Vienna. The police followed the Mercedes Vito with a striking Hungarian license plate. The chase ran from the intersection of the A3 at Eisenstadt to Müllendorf.
Suddenly the van stopped, the driver jumped onto the road and ran into the forest of the Leitha Mountains. There were 22 refugees in the hold. Most migrants – probably from Syria, Turkey and Afghanistan – were in poor health.
Four-legged investigators arrested the smuggler
The escaped smuggler started the manhunt. The alarm went off while training police dogs at the National Fire Command. Officials started searching with their four-legged sleuths. A four-legged researcher determinedly pursued the trail and quickly tracked down the tractor.
The Eisenstadt Public Prosecutor’s Office ordered the Syrian (23) to be taken to prison. There was a risk of escape and committing a crime. Further investigation into the deliberate endangerment of the community is ongoing.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
