Over the past few months of the Covid-19 pandemic in Malta, a number of sectors within the police force saw a shift in their daily duties due to the legal notices and restrictions that were implemented in order to prevent the spread of the virus.
This also applied for the K9 Section whose usual patrols for explosives or drugs turned into ones targeting groups of people in order to ensure that the number of people congregating does not go above the limit that is suggested by the health authorities which stands at a maximum of six people at the moment. Nonetheless, the section’s daily routine remained the same overall.
The Malta Independent got the chance to spend a day with K9 Section and get an insight on what it is like to be a handler as well as a dog within this section.
A day in the life of the K9 Section
Upon arriving at the K9 Section’s headquarters in Mosta overlooking the breath-taking valley that separates Malta’s centre from its northern side, this newsroom was greeted by dog handler and Chief Operation Officer within the K9 Section PS1182 Chris Formosa who served as a guide throughout the day.
The section’s day always starts at the early hours of the morning with a number of constables cleaning the kennels in which their furry companions are kept. Each kennel is made up of a feeding and sleeping area with a garden attached at the back of it where the dogs can run and play to their hearts’ content.
Formosa explained that the unit has certain reserve constables who are in charge of maintaining these kennels in addition to the maintenance of the section’s building itself. Notably, some of these constables also have dogs of their own which help the section out in its day-to-day searches.
Simultaneously, a constable prepares their food while others clean the dogs themselves when needed and this is when the basic morning routine comes to an end.
“After cleaning, we follow a schedule of duties that have been assigned to us that day,” Formosa said. “Each constable has their own dog assigned to them which is specialised in one area from the following; explosives, drugs or general use that includes riots and VIP protection.”
This newsroom asked how this routine has changed ever since the Covid-19 legal notices on prevention measures were issued.
Formosa explained that the K9 Section was involved in various aspects during the pandemic most of which concerning patrols and surveillance of public to ensure that it is abiding by the health authorities’ guidelines. This involved working with health inspectors by checking up on any reported breaches and ensuring that quarantine measures are being followed by those to which the regulation applies.
“We also carry out daily patrols with our dogs wherein we check that people are not gathering in groups larger than the number stipulated by legal notices,” he added. Typically they are asked to patrol busy areas in the far north, Bugibba and Mellieha, or far south; Marsascala and Marsaxlokk.
Asked about how the situation has changed since the start of the pandemic, Formosa said that they were issuing more fines at the start due to the number of people in one group being limited to just three. Now that the number has increased to six persons, the situation has become more relaxed.
Training and the bond they share with their handlers
Formosa explained that with all the duties that they have to carry out due to Covid-19, the section does not have a lot of time to train their dogs but it still tries to put in a few hours in the evening.
“The system we use to train them is something we refer to as 'positive training'. This does not mean that there are no punishments but we punish a particular behaviour, not the dog itself; like not rewarding him with a toy after it has done something that was not requested by the handler,” he said. “They learn like children, they work to get a reward, the only difference is that children can talk. This applies for both obedience training and search training.”
Training can last anywhere between three to four months maximum and it depends heavily on how quickly the dog takes up the information as no dog is like another.
“However, at the end of the day what matters is the approach that we use. We have a set of guidelines that we follow but the approach differs according to the dog,” Formosa pointed out.
The Malta Independent also spoke with another handler, PC44 Roger Aquilina, who delineated the way in which a handler builds a bond with its assigned canine, or canines since some handlers have two to three dogs under their wing.
“The relationship is something that builds up day by day. It is not something that only develops with training, one must continuously encourage their assigned canine in whatever it is that he does and make it a part of their daily routine,” Aquilina explained.
He added that the bond starts to manifest without knowing as the dog becomes more involved in the handler’s routine, to the point that they “become one”.
“These dogs become your shadow and your trusted companion, not in the same way pets are to some people as there is also a level of discipline involved which makes the bond even stronger,” he said.
The K9 Section currently has 34 dogs within its custody, including those which are retired from work.
Formosa said that, generally, when a dog retires, he is either taken in by its handler or he is kept at the section’s headquarters and given the same amount of attention as the others, if not more since everyone starts communicating with him not just his handler.