Tuesday 19 July 2011

Have They Really Thought This Through?

Police will exercise their dogs at a primary school which has been repeatedly targeted by burglars and vandals.

Officers came up with the novel idea after St Helen’s School, Westcliff, was hit on three consecutive weekends.

PC Lisa Wiggins, who is investigating the incidents, said: “On each occasion access was gained via the un-overlooked rear of the school.

“So I have now made arrangements for police dogs to be exercised within the school grounds at weekends. This should make criminals think twice before returning.”
Let's hope they keep better control of them than this officer, then:
The Sainsbury's worker was visiting step-daughter Laura Cottingham, with wife Georgia, at her Windsor Drive home in Leek.

He said he saw the police dog handler coming towards him at around 10.30am with the Alsatian on a long lead, but felt no danger.

But the dog bit Mr Fennell at least once and he was forced pull the dog's teeth out of his leg with the help of the handler.
A long lead, eh? Well, as we've already seen, it's going to be hard for the police to say that the dog wasn't under control, so that should triple the damages!

Even their normal supporters aren't too impressed:
Thirty-two year-old Laura, pictured, who runs the Haregate Community Centre in Leek, said: "I don't think the dog was under control, it was on a really long leash and it didn't stop biting when the handler got to it.

"Normally you'd expect the handler to have a control word so the dog could be stopped.

"I work with the police at the community centre to improve the reputation of the force on the estate, but I can't defend this at all."
As far as the police are concerned, it's not the fault of anyone but the enticing target innocent member of the public:
Inspector Chris Dawson, head of the force's dog unit, said police had been called to Windsor Drive for a separate matter.

He said: "Police were called following the report of an assault at an address. The male offender had fled the scene.

"A police dog, under close control on a lead, was tracking the offender's trail along Windsor Drive.

"The dog's handler shouted to a male member of the public, unconnected to the assault, to stay where he was while the dog passed by. The man however moved and was subsequently bitten on his right leg by the dog."
If there's one thing primary school children can be relied upon for, it's running around.

So if they decide to do this on weekdays as well, this could be interesting...

6 comments:

Shinar's Basket Case said...

The 'Dog Bit Man' part of this story makes no sense as anyone who has worked professionally with dogs could tell you and by 'professionally' I don't mean half arsed 'Babara Woodhouse' Obedience trainers.

Firstly long leads are used only in very specific circumstances because the longer the lead the less control. You'd use a long lead when searching Heath or moorland but not an estate.

Secondly if the bloke was bitten in leg then either he went to attack (kick) the dog or the dog suddenly developed a psychosis and needs to be shot.

Of course every handler has a 'desist command'....or in the case of the dogs I worked with it was called a 'mag lite' cos that's the best way to get a dog to take its teeth out of someone's arm.

John Page said...

What business does a policeman have to shout at a presumably innocent member of the public to stand still just because he's walking past him with this dog?

English Viking said...

Why is it that Babylon take an altogether different view of things when some scrote of an estate allows their dog to bite someone, or, far, far more serious, it bites PC Plod?

Anonymous said...

John,I presume you would rather be shouted at that than bitten?
The "shouting at the public act" 1972 sub-section 4 gives police the power to do such a thing.
Jaded

microdave said...

Naturally the police will be carrying plastic bags to pick up the crap their dogs leave behind...

We can't have any nasty parasites crawling around in the grass - think of the cheeeeldrun!!!

JuliaM said...

" You'd use a long lead when searching Heath or moorland but not an estate."

Odd, isn't it?

"What business does a policeman have to shout at a presumably innocent member of the public to stand still just because he's walking past him with this dog?"

Good point!

"John,I presume you would rather be shouted at that than bitten?"

Perhaps if the police didn't strut around shouting, their dogs might not display so much aggression towards innocent non-targets?

"Naturally the police will be carrying plastic bags to pick up the crap their dogs leave behind..."

I think they do, in most 'display' occasions. At least, the ones who came to display their drugs dog at our local school certainly did.