POLICE officers from the Uitenhage K9 Unit and their four-legged partners visited the Hermitage Pre-Primary School in Addo, in a first public display for the year, owing to COVID-19 restrictions.
K9 Unit member, Warrant Officer Jacques Adlem, addressed the children on awareness and how to spot drugs that are camouflaged as sweets and given to children.
His new four-legged partner, Texa, a German Shepherd of about four years old, joined them a month ago and was very eager to show off her skills as a narcotics detector.
Warrant Officer Melissa Adlem also showed off her dog, Pierke, a tackle dog which is a four years old Malinois patrol dog.
The children were fascinated and impressed with their professional abilities on detecting drugs and apprehending a thief in the act.
According to police spokesperson Captain Gerda Swart, visits to educational institutions play a fundamental role in educating children about how not to fall prey to crime.
“Nelson Mandela once said, ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world’. And that is exactly why the police and K9 Unit visit educational institutions. We need to inform and educate our children,” said Captain Swart.
