On June 2, 2021, Steinbach RCMP, in conjunction with the RCMP police dog service, were conducting a training day in Steinbach. Steinbach has had an operational police service dog and dogmaster for the last five plus years. During the time that they have been protecting the community there has been an outpouring of community support.

Steinbach RCMP say that it is essential for all police dogs to continue to train in all environments, temperatures, and ground surfaces. This often includes simulating the tracking of subjects who have fled from crime scenes in urban, suburban and rural areas. Often, the carefully planned training tracks in residential areas will meander through front and back yards of residences, or business properties, or parks, or parking lots. Police dogs require constant and ongoing familiarization with all areas that they may have to perform their work so that they can confidently perform their job; this includes locating persons and protecting our loved ones. In order to simulate these events, police may periodically enter onto, and walk across, or through properties. Police will always be in uniform or have identifiable markings indicating their employment with the RCMP. If you see any suspicious activity where individuals do not appear as a police officer do not hesitate to contact your local RCMP detachment.

The RCMP have been so thankful for the overwhelming support and cooperation of the community in developing and maintaining the operational abilities of police dogs. As a result of ongoing training, the police dog section has had success in the community of Steinbach and has apprehended many high profile criminals, assisted with finding missing persons and contributed to community safety.

RCMP said that throughout the training day, many people stopped to talk and ask questions about the training, what the RCMP were doing in their neighborhood. The positive interaction was welcomed and officers took the opportunity to speak with a youth who was interested in the training process and with several home owners in the area. Another positive byproduct of the training is the increase in police presence in the community. Although the RCMP understand that it is not always feasible to speak with everyone prior to walking on personal or commercial property the police dog section and other RCMP officers involved in the training are very approachable and would love to have a conversation when time permits. While the police dog is working it is imperative that the dogmaster and the police dog remain focused on the simulated task at hand.

As time continues, Steinbach RCMP and the police dog services look forward to serving Steinbach and all the surrounding rural municipalities. Steinbach RCMP also has one potential police service dog in training at this time and you will undoubtedly see him and his handler at many businesses, out on walks around town, and in local schools. Steinbach and the surrounding rural municipalities have helped to build and imprint five potential police service dogs, three of which are currently serving communities across Canada on Vancouver Island, and in our very own province of Manitoba in the Northern Thompson Community.

If you see Steinbach’s newest recruit Pixel, Steinbach RCMP invite you to say hello and feel free to ask questions.