Nottinghamhshire Police has become the first in Britain to appoint a ‘dog detective’ at its headquarters in Arnold following a national spike in pet thefts.
Chief Inspector Amy Styles-Jones will be dedicated to tackling canine theft in Nottinghamshire.
The officer, who has three pet Chihuahuas called Tink, Jasper and Josie, said: “As an animal lover myself I relish the prospect of ensuring we take a compassionate response to the developing situation in regards to dog theft and any animal cruelty.
“I am proud to be part of a force where such a commitment has been given.”
Nottinghamshire Police Chief Constable Craig Guildford said the move to introduce the specialist officer, who will be based at their Sherwood Lodge HQ, should send a clear message that this type of crime ‘would not be tolerated’.
It comes as part of a package of measures after a survey revealed dog owners are increasingly fearful over their pets’ safety following growing cases of dog theft across the country during the pandemic.
Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Emma Foody, who launched the survey, said: “I’m delighted that Nottinghamshire has become the first force in the country to appoint a dog theft lead. There is growing alarm – both locally and nationally – over the threat of dog theft. This has been fuelled by a number of distressing incidents which have eroded public confidence.
“I’m incredibly grateful for the support of Guide Dogs for the Blind in helping us highlight how serious this issue is, and I’m keen to work with other organisations to do whatever we can to prevent dog theft in the future and disrupt the lucrative market that has emerged during the national lockdowns.
“As a dog owner myself, I know just how worrying this issue is, and I’m determined to fight for tougher penalties for those involved in this despicable crime.”
Nottinghamshire’s Chief Constable Craig Guildford said the appointment of a dedicated dog theft detective showed the force took the issue seriously.
He said: “Firstly, it’s important to reassure local residents that we have not seen a significant spike in dog theft in Nottinghamshire. However, we obviously want to keep it that way, and give our dog owners confidence that we are taking the matter seriously.
“That’s why I felt it was important to have a senior officer to lead on this. We want to prevent dogs being stolen in the first place, with the heartbreaking stress and trauma this causes the owners, and will be working hard to spread those messages.
“Secondly I want to send a clear message to those who seek to carry out this cold-hearted crime that it will not be tolerated, it is taken very seriously and we will come after you.”
Tim Stafford, director of canine affairs at Guide Dogs, said: “Stealing a dog is not the same as stealing someone’s television, despite the law seeing it this way.
“The theft of a dog is much more like the loss of a loved family member. What’s more, blind and visually impaired people rely on their guide dogs for their independence and wellbeing. A huge investment of love, time and money over many years has gone into creating each of our incredible guide dog partnerships.
“This year, for the first time, we have been informed of a couple of incidents when someone has attempted to take a guide dog from its owner. While such incidents are very rare in relation to how many guide dog partnerships our charity supports, we are concerned about how fearful our guide dog owners are of being a potential target at the moment. The law needs to change to stop dog theft from being a low-risk, high-reward crime, and better reflect how people value their dogs.”
