VIDEO: Saanich Police welcome new support dog, Beacon

After a very hard year for the Saanich Police, this pup will hopefully be helping soothe stress at the department.

A new furry friend has joined the ranks, and is tasked with the very important job of keeping spirits high.

Beacon is the new “Operational Stress Intervention” dog at the department, and he is a very good boy!

It seems he has already become the most popular guy in the office:

Meet Beacon! The new Operational Stress Intervention dog at @SaanichPolice He spends his days comforting staff and those experiencing emotional stress! pic.twitter.com/lNsdFs17zX

— VictoriaNow (@VictoriaBCNow) January 25, 2023

“His impact on the organization, the people that work here, has been tremendous,” said Saanich Police Chief Dean Duthie at a press conference Wednesday. “Just watching him as he interacts and shows his love for people, putting smiles on peoples faces, you can feel the tension move to a lower level when he walks in.”

The presence of a support dog comes at an opportune time for the Saanich Police Department, who are still dealing with the fallout and trauma of last summer's BMO bank shooting in which several officers were injured:

“Since the BMO incident, this was made a high priority,” said Chief Duthie. “The speed and swiftness of welcoming Beacon to the organization–we’re talking seven months after the incident–is significant and we’re very pleased with that.”

The 2-year-old black lab was donated to the department by Wounded Warriors Canada, in partnership with the Vancouver Island Compassion Dogs (VICD), which is a division of BC Guide Dogs.

Beacon is trained to sense anxiety and will comfort staff during debriefings of critical incidents. This good boy will also be helping to better support victims of crime and survivors of sexualized offenses during interviews.