You may have noticed in our headline that we referred to Serge as a ‘hero’. That’s what he is. A hero. This crime busting, four-legged phenom has definitely served and protected his community as a member of the Barrie Police Service.
Serge is a German Shepherd and has been the partner of Barrie Police Constable Matt Abofs since 2014. He’s named after the ceremonial uniform of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). His name honoured the memory, service and sacrifice of three RCMP officers who were murdered in New Brunswick on June 4, 2014.
Over the past 11 years, this dynamic duo attended 775 operational deployments which included tracking, and searches for controlled drugs, evidence and persons. Serge was responsible for locating people in 316 incidents. In 2019, Serge was awarded a Life Saving Award for one of those finds.
Serge has proven that he has a super-sniffer! In evidence searches, he’s successfully located drugs, firearms, and DNA-related evidence. He has helped out with countless building and vehicle searches and has located evidence that helped return property to victims of crime.
“Police service dogs are trusted and valued members of our Service,” said Chief Rich Johnston. “After 11 years of supporting our officers, and helping keep our community safe, Serge will now be able to enjoy a well-deserved retirement.”
Constable Abofs will continue to serve in the Barrie Police Canine Unit with his other canine partner, General Purpose Dog Radar, who is a Belgian Malinois. Serge will spend his retirement living with Constable Abofs.
Happy retirement, Serge, and enjoy lots of treatos. The community thanks you. Good boy.
