For the first time in 23 years, the Cobourg Police Service has a canine unit.
Constable Amrit Gill and his canine partner Atos were formally introduced to the community during the Cobourg police service board’s meeting in city council chambers at Victoria Hall on Tuesday morning (July 28).
Atos is a one-and-a-half-year-old German shepherd from Poland who will assist police with locating vulnerable people, tracking suspects, recovering evidence, detecting drugs and firearms, and supporting officers in other situations.
Gill and Atos graduated on July 24 from an intensive canine training program led by the Guelph Police Service.
The pair trained alongside canine teams from police services in Halton Region, Guelph, Belleville, Brantford, and Windsor, with support from Guelph police constable and canine trainer Jay Hall.
Hall, along with officers from the Halton and Belleville police services, attended Tuesday’s ceremony.
During the ceremony, police board chair Adam Bureau and retired Cobourg police sergeant Don Missen, the service’s former canine handler, presented the official canine unit badge to Gill and Atos.
“On behalf of the board, we are pleased to welcome the canine unit back to Cobourg and congratulate Constable Amrit Gill and Atos on successfully completing their training,” Bureau said.
“Today, Amrit and Atos are carrying that legacy forward, supported by strong community partnerships and a shared commitment to enhancing public safety and positive outcomes for the residents of Cobourg.”
Cobourg police chief Chris Leather, an RCMP veteran who took over the reins of the police service in June from the now-retired Paul VandeGraaf, described the new unit as an investment in public safety and investigative capabilities.
“Police service dogs are a unique and invaluable policing resource,” Chief Leather said. “They assist in locating vulnerable persons, tracking suspects, recovering evidence, and in the detection of drugs and firearms, supporting frontline officers in dynamic situations.”
“We are extremely proud of the dedication and commitment shown by Constable Gill throughout this training process and look forward to the positive impact this team will have on our community.”
Gill said becoming the unit’s handler has special significance for him. As a child, he met Missen and his canine partner when they visited his classroom.
“Seeing that connection between the officer, the dog, and the community left a lasting impression on me and played a big role in inspiring my decision to become a police officer,” Gill said.
“It’s incredibly rewarding to now have the opportunity to help bring a canine unit back to Cobourg, enhance community safety, and hopefully inspire the next generation the same way I was inspired.”
Cobourg police previously operated a canine unit from 1997 until Missen’s retirement in 2003.
Missen’s first canine partner was Wally Justice, a German shepherd who served as a patrol dog from 1997 to 2000. Trained in tracking, article searches, and criminal apprehension, Wally joined the service with financial support from the Rotary Club of Cobourg.
After Wally retired, Missen was partnered with Percy, an English springer spaniel acquired from the RCMP and trained to detect drugs. Percy served in Cobourg from 2000 to 2003 before continuing his career with the Toronto Police Service.
The Cobourg Police Service’s canine unit was disbanded after Missen retired in 2003.
As with the original canine unit, the new program has been established with community support. Justin’s Pet Store and Port Hope Veterinary Emergency Clinic and Services are helping support Atos’s long-term care and well-being, while the Belleville Police Service assisted with the unit’s development and will continue to provide support.
Representatives from the pet store and veterinary clinic also attended Tuesday’s ceremony to welcome Gill and Atos to Cobourg.
