PC Dog Handler in City of London

Type of Contract: Full time

Rank/Grade: PC

Directorate/Department: Local Policing/Taskforce

Statement of Expectation for the Role: Minimum of 2 years Vetting Level Required: RV/CTC

Location: Bishopsgate Police Station

Salary: According to National Police Pay Scales plus London Weighting and London Allowance; Dog handler allowance, vehicle allowance and mileage. Subject to allocation of a working dog.

Role Purpose

To provide proactive and reactive assistance to all operational officers and specialist departments through the appropriate use of police dogs; to locate and retrieve evidence or offenders, control potential and actual disturbances, and enhance officer and public safety.

Key Responsibilities

• Respond promptly to requests for a police dog, supplying professional expertise and tactical advice and operational support to front line officers.
• Conduct searches using general purpose or specialist dogs in support of local officers to expedite the location of missing persons and the arrest of offenders; and support local officers in their investigations and responses to incidents.
• Support the containment of dangerous dogs out of control, including inter‑familial dog attacks and cases on private property, to protect public safety.
• Conduct directed patrols in response to local priorities and in support of divisional and area officers, to detect and prevent crime.
• Support front line officers in the capture and control of dogs on premises to enable a safe working environment when conducting search warrants or interventions into premises.
• Provide a source of specialist advice to operational policing units on the deployment of dogs, contributing to the development of appropriate strategies and tactical plans in support of front‑line initiatives.
• Promote and deliver educational talks and displays to colleagues and members of the public; to acquaint them with the roles and skills of police dogs, and to support the development of positive relationships between the police and public.
• Undertake the proper care, training and handling of general purpose and specialist police dogs; ensuring the health, wellbeing and operational effectiveness of the dog(s).

Essential Criteria

• Experience as an operational Police GPD and/or search Dog Handler.
• Current NCTAS accredited Dog handler (GPD and/or Specialist Search).
• High level of written and verbal communication skills.
• Able to use standard IT packages, systems and/or databases to fulfil role requirements.
• Prepared to work GPD (Primary) and Specialist Search dogs (Secondary).
• Strong team working skills, demonstrating awareness of individual differences and a proactive approach to relationship development with colleagues and stakeholders.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to set out logical arguments clearly, adapting language, form and message to meet the needs of different people and audiences in diverse situations.
• Able to produce concise reports or other documents.
• Demonstrable experience of using effective communication skills with members of the public, particularly in confrontational situations.
• Problem solving skills with the ability to identify cause and effect and develop a course of action designed to target root causes and mitigate effects.
• Able to identify, analyse, and manage risk to inform balanced, proportionate, evidence‑based decisions.
• Good time management skills with the ability to organise and prioritise.
• Able to review own performance objectively and take steps to make improvements.

Benefits

• Generous pension scheme.
• Free Oyster card for London (TFL) travel and subsidised national rail travel, allowing travel within a 70‑mile radius.
• Flexible working arrangements – part time, job share, hybrid and other patterns where possible.
• Access to staff support networks for guidance and advice.

The City of London Police is committed to equality of opportunities and continuously strives for inclusivity within our Force. We welcome applications from all sections of the community, particularly from those who are disabled, have long‑term health conditions, are neurodivergent, come from Black, Asian and other Minority Ethnic backgrounds, are female, or identify as LGBTQIA+.