The Windsor Police Service K9 Unit is welcoming a new four-legged officer as another celebrates retirement.
Police Service Dog Smoke and his handler Constable Rylan Salmon have officially joined the team after a 15-week training program.
Smoke will replace Police Service Dog Coal who is retiring after eight years of service.
"It's bittersweet, eight years went by really fast. I truly, truly enjoyed every minute in the K9 unit, the whole training process, I can't say enough good things about the team around me," said Constable Eric Willson, Coal's handler.
The K9-unit is called upon to apprehend suspects, locate missing people, detect illegal narcotics and firearms and support officers in high-risk situations.
Constable Willson recalls one case where officers cleared a space without finding any drugs on the premises. Police Service Dog Coal was brought in and he indicated the scent of drugs at the back deck of the home where officers found a hidden compartment.
"It had a large amount of drugs and a large amount of money in there, and had he not been there, there's no question that that would have gone undetected and those drugs would have ended up on the street," said Willson.
Coal will spend his retirement with Willson's family.
"I'm lucky that I have a large property with a big wooden area, so he runs around and hangs out with me and guards my garage now," said Willson.
