Hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of drugs and weapons taken off streets by dog support unit.
It has been yet another busy year for our specialist Dog Unit, which has helped to sniff out hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of drugs and weapons from the streets of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
From tracking down criminals and unearthing key evidence for solving crimes, to helping reach vulnerable people in need and policing events on the global stage, our four-legged crime-fighters and their handlers are always ready for action.
Achievements in 2024
And as 2024 draws to a close, we’ve taken a look back at some of their impressive achievements which have helped to ensure our communities are safer as we enter the new year.
The Joint Operations Dog Support Unit, provides a specialist resource in Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and Thames Valley, providing vital support to teams across the two forces.
Since April 2024, the dogs and their handlers have recovered almost £28,000 in cash and more than £405,000 worth of drugs. The have located a number of weapons, including two machetes, six knives, a sword, a set of nun chucks, two hammers, three firearms and 200 shot gun shells.
On 30th October, PC Kelly Bartle and Police Dog Major were called to assist with the search of a vehicle on Wellington Avenue, Aldershot. Police Dog Major located 19 grip seal bags containing suspected cocaine.
A 33-year-old man, from Bournemouth, was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply a controlled drug of Class A, using a vehicle without third party insurance and driving a vehicle otherwise than in accordance with a licence. He was released on police bail until 30th January.
Isle of Wight cases
The month before, on 12th September, Police Dog Dexter and his handler PC Ellis Butler, were tasked to attend a search in Newport.
During the search, they located a large amount of cannabis, suspected class A drugs and a substantial amount of cash.
A 24-year-old woman, from Shanklin, was arrested on suspicion of conspiring to supply a class a controlled drug, possession of a controlled drug of class b and acquiring / using / possessing criminal property. She’s been released under investigation.
Another area in which the dogs are vital at helping to keep our communities safe, is helping to track down offenders who have fled the scene of a crime.
Southampton
On 28th September, PC Lance Plummer and Police Dog Blaze were called into action to help find the rider of a motorbike which had failed to stop for police in Southampton. PD Blaze tracked the scent across a large, open park and despite the man’s efforts to evade officers, PD Blaze kept on the chase until he was safely detained.
A 27-year-old man, from Southampton, has been arrested on suspicion of theft of motor vehicle and failing to stop a mechanically propelled vehicle when required by a constable. He has been released under investigation.
Hampshire
Not to be outdone by PD Blaze, on 30th October, Sergeant Richard Taylor and Police Dog Hugo attended the scene of a burglary in Ringwood. A convenience store had been burgled and the offenders had run from the scene. It was only thanks to the expert nose of PD Hugo that led officers to someone hiding in the back garden of a nearby house.
Two teenage boys, aged 15 and 17, both from Bournemouth, were arrested in connection with this incident and released on police bail until 30th January.
It isn’t just crime-fighting that these specialist hounds are deployed to, though. With their unmatched talent for tracking, they have helped save the lives of many vulnerable people and since April they have located ten people reported missing.
Missing person
This included PC Laurence Taylor and Police Dog Ivan, who were called to help search for a missing person in Gosport, in October. The bad weather was making the search more difficult and extensive searches were already taking place but to no avail. That was until PD Ivan got to work and picked up a scent, leading him to the man and enabling him to be brought to safety.
But when they aren’t chasing down criminals, sniffing out drugs or helping the vulnerable, these dogs are deployed to national and international events, working on the world stage to help ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all involved.
D-Day 80 commemorative event
In June, they played an integral part in helping ensure the safety of thousands of people attending the D-Day 80 commemorative event in Portsmouth by carrying out searches of the event site in the lead up to the historic event.
They, along with their dog handlers, made it possible for our brave veterans to remember their fallen colleagues, alongside His Majesty the King, close to the spot where so many set sail from in 1944.
2024 Paralympic Games
Then, in August, dog handlers PC Paul Shutler and PC Dan Attwood were travelled to Paris, accompanied by their explosive search dogs PD Cody and PD Arlo, to help with the international policing operation around the 2024 Paralympic Games.
Tim Lawrence, Dog Unit instructor, said,
“As you can see from just these few examples, our specialist unit is ready for whatever is needed from them.
“The dog unit consists of various disciplines, starting off with general purpose dogs, then we have firearms support dogs, specialist search with two different kinds of drugs dogs. We also have data dogs which are taught to find digital equipment like phones and sim cards, explosive search dogs and victim recovery dogs. They are vitally important to all of those specialist search areas.
“It’s really rewarding to be part of their training. We put a lot of time and effort into training these dogs and when we get the results that come through it’s brilliant to see that the dogs are doing what they’re trained to do and how they benefit the constabulary and our communities.”
Superintendent Mark Lewis added,
“The Joint Operations Unit Dog Section is a key element in the force’s relentless pursuit of criminals.
“You may not always see the work that they’re doing, but they are vital in helping us support our communities and keeping you safer.”
News shared by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, in their own words. Ed
