West coast crime-fighting efforts boosted with first dog unit

The N7 that connects Cape Town with the Namibian border is notorious for the trade and transportation of illicit substances such as firearms and abalone, but those who break the law on this national route will now meet their match, as the Western Cape government launches a specialised dog unit to nab traffickers.

The K9 unit, which was set in motion by Western Cape MEC for community safety Albert Fritz on Thursday, will see crime fighters on the west coast get extra resources in the form of six trained dogs and their handlers with the establishment of the region's  first dog unit.

Existing dog units are owned by the SA Police Service, and the closest unit on the west coast is at Milnerton, almost 100km away.

Fritz said the West Coast District K9 Unit, which has been allocated about R4m over a three-year-period, would be situated within the jurisdiction of the Swartland law enforcement services and would serve all the west coast towns.

The crime-fighting dogs had been trained to detect narcotics, explosives and firearms. They had also been trained to assist in anti-poaching operations.

Fritz said the new unit would improve police coverage and response time in the west coast region, which previously experienced delays as it was dependent on Milnerton police when it required searching assignments.

Four dogs have been trained to detect illegal narcotics and two have been trained to detect explosives, firearms and ammunition.

“We know that the N7, and many of its coastal towns, are particularly affected by trade and transportation of illicit substances as it is a national road leading to the SA border. This unit will go a long way in assisting law enforcement officials to track down and convict perpetrators and improve the safety of residents on the west coast,” said Fritz.

“I am fascinated by the training provided to the K9 unit, which enables them to respond to the specific crime trends affecting the west coast which include the trafficking of illicit substances.”

Some of the unit’s duties include maintaining a high degree of visible policing by means of K9 patrols, deployment to identified areas which includes weighbridges, key points and identified crime hot spots.

An additional two official K9 units are expected to be launched soon within the City of Cape Town and Overberg regions.

Fritz said: “We are committed to the success of this programme. As such, the department has availed R4m towards this programme in the 2019/20 financial year, has earmarked R2m in 2020/21 and R2.2m in 2021/22.”

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