An Ottawa police officer and his canine companion are in Paris for this year’s Olympic Games to help keep athletes and attendees safe.
Const. David Guy and his canine partner, Beci, have joined at least 1,900 police reinforcements from more than 40 countries.
The pair are responsible for pre-sweeping venues to make sure they’re free of explosives.
“I never thought in my life that I would end up in Paris with an explosive dog and searching these venues,” Guy told CBC Radio’s Ottawa Morning last week. “This is the best thing I’ve ever done.”
Guy said officers are split up into teams with their dogs and assigned zones to make sure each area is properly swept for hazards.
“We did the equestrian venue at Versailles, and it is stunning the job that they’ve done there and how massive the grounds are,” Guy said.
“They took us on a golf cart around the back of the equestrian centre and then you could see the back of Château [de] Versailles and the gardens. And it’s absolutely breathtaking.”
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Beci, a German short-haired pointer, is a single-purpose explosive detection dog.
“He’s a very hard-working dog. All he wants to do is hunt for odours because normally he would be a hunting dog for birds,” said Guy.
But it’s not all work and no play. Guy said he uses a reward system with Beci that ensures he gets his favourite toys after a job well done.
“It’s just beautiful weather here and he’s having the time of his life,” he added, joking that Beci may not want to return to Ottawa.
They’ve completed their training, packed their bags and are off to Paris for the Olympics!<br><br>K9 Beci and Cst. David Guy will be on scene in Paris to assist with explosive detection during the Olympics.<br><br>We wish them and all athletes attending the Olympics a safe journey and the… <a href=”https://t.co/JsAUvQDfCx”>pic.twitter.com/JsAUvQDfCx</a>
—@OttawaPolice
The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) said Guy has been an officer for 23 years and has been with the K9 unit since 2018.
A post on social media by OPS said there are 29 other K9 teams in Paris, including a team from Alberta.
There are also teams from countries such as Norway, Sweden, Estonia, and Cyprus.
Paris prepares
France has been on high alert leading up to the Games, with French authorities confirming they spoiled multiple attempts to disrupt the event.
During the Olympics, more than 10,000 athletes will compete at multiple venues and millions of visitors are expected to attend.
Paris is deploying 35,000 police officers each day for the Olympics, which run until Aug. 11. In addition,10,000 soldiers are taking part in security operations in the Paris region.