West Midlands Police’s Dog Unit is going Dutch in its latest move to catch crooks and keep the region’s streets safe.
German Shepherds make up the bulk of the force’s four-legged crime-fighting corps but Police Dog Bart is the first Dutch Herder to join the ranks.
Jet black Bart (pictured below and as a puppy in training) teamed up with handler Keith Bennett when he was just eight weeks old but has now hit the streets having graduated from West Midlands Police’s award-winning training programme with distinction.
He’s one of six Dutch Herders bought by the unit last year as trainers explore opportunities to introduce new breeds.
Dog handler and trainer, PC Terry Arnett, said: “Herders are very sociable dogs, confident and highly driven…it makes them potentially excellent police dogs and we’re confident Bart will be a huge success.
“Bart has been trained to locate and catch crime suspects and uncover any stolen property, weapons or clothing − evidence that’s often crucial in securing court convictions. He’s only been on the streets a few days but the early signs are good.
“We have kept another Herder as a brood bitch and all being well hope to have our first litter later this year.”
West Midlands Police operates one of the largest, most successful police dog breeding schemes in the country.
Close to 1,000 German Shepherds have come through the programme’s base in Balsall Common – a centre awarded Assured Breeder Accreditation by the Kennel Club in recognition of its commitment to dog welfare – since it was launched in 1994.
In December 2012, a litter of German Shepherd / Dutch Herder cross-breed pups were born at the base – of which Police Dog Ice (pic below) still patrols the region’s streets – but Bart is the first full Herder introduced to the force.
Breed scheme manager Dave Raymond, added: “More than 80 per cent of the dogs we breed and train in-house go on to be operational dogs…and the scourge of criminals!
“The dogs regularly find hidden items not immediately obvious to officers and which would otherwise take much longer to locate…or not be found at all.
“Our dogs play an important role in catching offenders and keeping the public safe…the breed scheme allows us to plan ahead and ensure we have the right number of dogs ready and able to replace ones who retire."
Four of the other Dutch Herders trained by the force have been sold to other police forces, including Bart’s sister Ziva who’s now with Derbyshire Police, while another has been taken on by the prison service.
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