For the majority of Albertans, the year 2020 was spent indoors. Lockdowns and health restrictions limited travel, gatherings, and many social aspects of life.

According to the Alberta RCMP, their police dog units stayed as busy as ever.

"Despite the unique circumstances, there was no shortage of work for our Police Dog Service teams. PDS teams are used in a primary role in locating or apprehending rural property crime suspects." says a statement from the Alberta RCMP. "The Alberta PDS is comprised of 18 teams strategically placed throughout the province; trained to track firearms, suspects and missing persons, crime scene evidence, explosives, and controlled substances.

The Alberta PDS responded to 2,800 calls for service and captured 900 criminals in 2020. Of those 2,800 calls:

  • Approximately 650 involved firearms or other weapons
  • 570 involved violence-related offenses
  • 450 calls were for missing people
  • Over 950 calls were for property crime offenses 
  • PDS deployed in a tracking profile over 700 times which resulted in 400 captures

According to the Alberta RCMP, all PDS dogs are purebred German Shepards, saying 1 in 3 puppies will become an RCMP working dog or breeding female.