New Dog Training Centre opens at Hertfordshire Constabulary Headquarters

A new state of the art police dog training facility and operational base at Hertfordshire Constabulary headquarters (HQ) in Welwyn Garden City was officially opened last week (Friday 18 October).

The training facility is also an operational base for the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire (BCH) Dog Unit officers and includes purpose-built kennels for their police dogs.

The kennels have been designed in consultation with the Dogs Trust to ensure they meet the highest standards of animal welfare.  Additional kennel space to house police dogs from regional and national forces during training delivery has also been factored in.

One of the many new features is a dedicated training and instructional room which provides an innovative space allowing handlers to receive theory inputs utilising current modern audiovisual equipment.

The room’s furniture can be folded and moved into an internal storage area, therefore providing an area for dogs and handlers to work together.

This new facility is the focal point for the existing training facilities at the HQ site, benefiting the 50 plus dogs that the Instructional Team are responsible for training, including puppy development. Training activities routinely utilise a large secure dedicated training field, agility equipment, search grids, enrichment area and odour identification building.

The construction of the facility, undertaken by contractor Willmott Dixon, is part of the wider redevelopment of HQ which involves demolition of five buildings into one four-storey modern building. 

The training centre was officially opened on Friday (18 October) by Lord Lieutenant Robert Vos, alongside Chief Constable Charlie Hall and Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire Jonathan Ash-Edwards. Also in attendance was High Sherif Annie Brewster and representatives from construction partner Willmott Dixon. Senior officers from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Joint Protective Services, who oversee the Dog Unit, also attended, including Assistant Chief Constable Karena Thomas, Chief Inspector Chris Huggins and Unit Inspector Declan McDonagh.

Chief Constable Charlie Hall said: “It is great to see the building and training area fully operational. We’re already hosting training for dog handlers from other forces and it is hoped that it will be seen as a national centre for excellence in police dog training in the future.”

Hertfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner Jonathan Ash-Edwards said: “Our police dogs dedicate a lifetime of service, working alongside police officers and staff to keep our communities safe. This new facility also demonstrates how seriously we take police dog welfare in Hertfordshire to ensure they get the best care and training whether on duty or off duty.”

Inspector Dec McDonagh from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Dog Unit said: “The new facilities at Hertfordshire headquarters are a fantastic addition to the Dog Unit. They will enable us to continue to develop high-quality dog teams to keep the communities of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Hertfordshire safe. This is a real legacy project that will continue to benefit both dogs and handlers for years to come.”

Secured by Design

Following a long period of consultation between the architect, construction company and the police designing out crime adviser, the new dog training building has been awarded a Gold certificate under the Secured by Design Scheme (SBD). Achieving this award demonstrates the Constabulary’s ongoing commitment to preventing crime in the built environment.

Hertfordshire Constabulary actively encourages and seeks to supports all construction within the county to be built in accordance with the police preferred specification scheme and it is only fitting that they do the same for their own buildings.

Secured by Design is the official UK Police flagship initiative, established by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) in 1989, now known as the National Police Chiefs Council. It combines the principles of ‘designing out crime’ with innovative physical security designs and processes. It acknowledges quality security products and crime prevention projects as part of its aim to reduce crime by creating high level security standards.

SBD publishes a Police Preferred Specification, which provides a measurable standard for the quality of products and projects. It also actively responds to trends in crime and gives input into new security standards. This means that Secured by Design certification is constantly evolving to focus on emerging risks and new technology.

Picturtes from the Dog Training Centre opening