We all know how important police officers are to keeping communities safe, but what about police dogs? BROOKE BOUCHER met some of Gwent Police's four-legged constables and found out more about the vital job they do.

POLICE dogs are nothing new, but few give much thought to the valuable contribution they make to stamping out crime and keeping communities safe.

This is something Gwent Police aimed to address when it issued all of its police dogs with their own collar numbers - the first force in the UK to do so.

And no one knows more about the vital role they play than their handlers. Police dogs and their handlers don't just work side-by-side - they live together too, cementing the bond yet further. When the dog retires at around nine years old, many handlers keep them at home with their families.

South Wales Argus:

MORE NEWS:

PC James Watkins, whose four legged partner is PD (Police Dog) 18, Wasp, a black German shepherd, said: “We love our dogs as they’re part of our life.

“We spend every shift with them, the bond is massive.

“It’s a big commitment to take on, for our families as well. We are always thinking about the dogs when we are planning to go away as we are not allowed to leave them at just any standard kennel.”

PC Gareth Thomas, who is the handler of PD 10, Wish, also a German shepherd said: “One dog is the equivalent to six other police constables with a shield.

“The dogs truly make a difference.”

The force has around 21 police dogs, with the German Shepherd the most common breed. They carry out a variety of jobs, with their highly-developed sense of smell put to good use in sniffing out drugs, cash, firearms or explosives. They are particularly valuable in finding missing or vulnerable people as they can cover a large area of ground more quickly.

And, of course, they also chase down criminals when the need to - and are trained to bite down if they are attacked.

All the force's 15 dog handlers are required to be re-licensed every 12 months by one of three instructors.

Thankfully, they're constantly training.

PC Thomas said, while training exercises in which dogs chase down a 'criminal' or face down one which is attacking them, may look intense, they are based on fun and play - and the dogs get rewards for doing a good job.

South Wales Argus:

L-R: PD 10 Wish and PD 18 Wasp

“We are not making the dogs do what they don’t want to,” he said. “We wouldn’t use them if they didn’t enjoy it.”

It's a sad fact that policing comes with risks - and police dogs are not immune from this. In 2016, a Hertfordshire Police dog, Finn, was stabbed during an arrest attempt. The attacker - a 16-year-old boy - was charged with Actual Bodily Harm on Finn's hander, but only received a charge of criminal damage for the severe injuries inflicted on the dog - who recovered from his injuries.

But earlier this year a new law - dubbed Finn's Law - was introduced, making it more difficult for anyone harming a service animal in the line of duty to claim self-defence, while also increasing maximum sentences.

South Wales Argus:

PD 10 Wish bite training with PC 1490 Gareth Thomas and and PC 728 James Watkins

Thankfully none of Gwent Police's dogs have been hurt in the line of duty yet, but PC Thomas said the potential danger they put themselves in should not be discounted.

“They’re putting themselves in harm's way to protect us,” he said. “That dog could end its life by saving a life.

“It’s unfortunate that people will injure service dogs, but we now feel a little extra assured that something would be done with the new legislation in place.”