For the first time in almost 10 years, the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service (NAPS) has welcomed a new K9 team to its ranks.

Constable Daniel Birch and his two-year-old Police Service Dog (PSD) partner, Becks, were officially introduced during a news conference at NAPS headquarters in Thunder Bay on Thursday, January 8.

Birch earned the position through an internal competition in 2025 and completed a 21-week training program before being paired with Becks.

The duo graduated from the OPP-led General Service Dog course on December 5 and were deployed the following day.

Becks is trained in a wide range of specialized tasks, including:

• Tracking missing persons
• Detecting drugs and firearms
• Locating evidence
• Criminal apprehension
• Conducting building searches

NAPS first launched a K9 Unit in 2009, but its previous canine member, Pax, retired in 2016.

Since then, the service has operated without an in-house K9 capability.

The reintroduction of the unit is expected to strengthen policing services across the 34 Northern communities NAPS serves.

Becks will officially receive a NAPS service badge during a ceremony at headquarters on Friday, January 9.