Police - Water level: hundreds of missions for helicopters and service dogs
Helicopters and highly specialized service dogs supported the police in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern on hundreds of missions in 2023. "Our two helicopters "Merlin 1" and "Merlin 2" were used in 147 missing person searches this year alone," said Interior Minister Christian Pegel (SPD) in Schwerin on Wednesday. "The crews were able to find the missing persons directly in 17 cases."
The 20 dogs in the state, which have been specially trained to search for tracks that are otherwise difficult to find, were also used in the search for missing and fugitive people. "Our four-legged sniffers have been deployed in 1295 cases across the country so far," said Pegel. But it is not only the search for people that determines the everyday work of the service dog handlers and their partners. They are also deployed in searches for narcotics, explosives and data carriers. "There were a total of 543 missions in these areas over the course of the year," says Pegel. In addition to narcotics, data carriers, weapons and ammunition, cash was also found.
Pegel saw the results as proof that the modernization of the state police is the right way forward: "In order to save lives, catch fugitives, stop drug trafficking and find prohibited data material, we need continuous further development," said the Minister. "The use of data carrier sniffer dogs and police helicopters shows how important further technical progress in operational equipment is for the police and the new police helicopters will make police work even more efficient."
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- The government of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is investing heavily in digitization to modernize the police force, aiming to enhance their efficiency and effectiveness in missions.
- At the turn of the year, a police helicopter was spotted hovering over the city, contributing to ongoing digitization efforts to improve search and rescue operations.
- The local SPD politician, Christian Pegel, praised the role of digitization and police dogs, highlighting their success in locating missing persons and data carriers.
- Amidst calls for stricter law enforcement and increased police presence, some question the need for digitization in the police force, fearing potential privacy concerns.
- Despite controversies surrounding the use of police dogs and helicopters, some local businesses have requested their assistance in tracking stolen merchandise, underscoring their presence and importance in the community.
Source: www.stern.de
