A general purpose police dog will be permanently deployed to Alice Springs to assist Police in catching offenders.
This announcement comes following the significant success of the dogs throughout the current Police Operation.
Recently donated 'Benno' the German Shepherd is in Alice Springs at present and will be permanently replaced by 'Jag' in coming weeks.
Alice Springs Superintendent Michael Murphy said the dogs are incredibly effective at tracking and catching offenders,
"Not only do these dogs trace scents, there is no point running from them.
"They are specifically trained to catch offenders, quite literally.
"One recently alleged car thief was hiding from Police. The minute he heard the dog, he stood up and made his presence known resulting in his swift arrest.
"Last night, Police received a report of an attempted unlawful entry at a liquor outlet. The dog, 'Benno', was in the vicinity, deployed immediately, and found the alleged offender hiding under a car. On another occasion, the Police dog chased and caught an alleged offender following a report of an attempted unlawful entry.
"Police dogs can also act as a deterrent such as a recent case in which a person armed with a knife saw the Police dog, dropped the weapon, and was arrested without any harm to any person."
"The results from these dogs speak for themselves, assisting in catching a number of alleged offenders in the last couple of weeks alone. To have one stationed down here permanently is good news for the community." Superintendent Murphy claimed.
Meanwhile, the Dog Operations Unit in Darwin is set to be increased with the addition of a Sergeant position to oversee deployments of both drug and general purpose dogs to maximise their effectiveness in assisting Police.
Further, a number of the 6 remaining puppies born to NT Police dogs in August last year are already showing significant promise at only 7 months old.
A formal assessment of all six puppies' progress is not expected to occur for some time with more social development training yet to take place. The official Police dog training course for puppies usually commences once they reach approximately 18 months old.
Media Contact
Katie Fowden
8901 0281
To Arrange Vision Opportunities in Alice Springs of Police Dog 'Benno' please contact Theresa Kuilboer 8951 8825
