UKLEADS

UNITED KINGDOM LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES' DOG SYSTEMS

UKLEADS brings together Government agencies with interests in search and general purpose dogs. Membership includes users, scientists, operational managers and Government Ministries.

UKLEADS aims to:

• Share ideas
• Develop and disseminate best practice
• Conduct trials
• Research new equipment

UKLEADS runs a major seminar every two years to do the same thing on an international scale. It gives an opportunity to develop trans-national relationships and is open to non-Governmental people with an interest in Canine matters.

UK Government Members of UKLEADS are:

• The Police forces of UK and Northern Ireland
• HM Prison Service
• HM Revenue and Customs
• Scottish Prison Service
• Ministry of Defence
• Department for Transport
• DSTL
• Home Office Scientific Development Branch

LEADS is not a one nation organisation even though the title was developed in the UK by Martin Russell of HMCE. Other countries are encouraged to develop their own national LEADS group. The intention is that all LEADS members will meet at LEADS seminars.

Part of UK LEADS is its Technical Support Group (TSG). Its purpose is to provide the technical support element, i.e. research, new ideas and the promotion of better systems. It includes research staff and operational users and is the organising group for the LEADS International seminars held in UK. The TSG has several areas and ideas under active consideration such as:

1. Explosives and drugs samples and the related issues
2. Remote Air Sampling by Dogs: MEDDS and RASCO
3. Breeding and selection of detection dogs
4. "Scent ID" as used by the Netherlands
5. Mine detection dogs as recently reviewed by the UN GICHD
6. Standards of handlers and their qualifications, professional bodies etc.
   

Click here to become a member

New in the jobs section:

The Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD, the Centre) is now seeking a dog expert with research skills.