Sault police welcome new K9 officer

Sault Police Canine Unit welcomes newest member Ben is the fourth member of the Canine Unit and is nearly ready for his first day on the job. Mike McDonald reports.

The Sault Ste. Marie Police Service (SSMPS) is adding another member to its Canine Unit. Ben, a Belgian Malinois, has recently completed a rigorous, 18-week training course at the Ontario Provincial Police Academy Training Centre, where a lot of ground was covered to get him ready for duty.

"We use the canine for many purposes," said Inspector Derek Dewar with the service's patrol division.

"One of them would be search and rescue, another would be evidence searching, building searches, suspect apprehension."

Ben is moving in with his partner and handler, Const. Nick Beaudry, who was right alongside Ben as he completed his training.

"Being a canine handler with the police service, it's ongoing training," said Beaudry.

"The dog lives with me, so we definitely have a strong bond. The dog's trained to do things that humans can't do, such as locating different kinds of scents – people can't do that. So, together as a team, we can definitely be an asset to the City of Sault Ste. Marie."

Police officials said that during training, Ben showed particular proficiency in suspect apprehension and evidence searching. He has five more weeks of training, which will focus on drug detection.

The SSMPS also announced its next deputy chief on Thursday.