Man arrested after sniffer dog tracks down suspected burglar hiding in hedge
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) received a report that a burglary was in progress at an unoccupied residential address in the Alexandra Gardens area of Belfast, just after 9.20pm on Thursday evening (August 14).
Officers were immediately dispatched to the scene, and a dog handler was the first to arrive.
The suspect, a masked man, made off through a window and towards Somerton Road, according to the PSNI.
It's believed that the suspect discarded an item of clothing while doing so, and the police dog, Raya, was then able to follow a scent trail to a nearby hedge where a man was found to be hiding.
The man was arrested on suspicion of aggravated burglary with intent to commit unlawful damage, and remains in custody at this time.
Following the incident, Inspector Harrison, of Operational Support Department, highlighted the importance sniffer dogs play in assisting the PSNI in protecting their community.
"Police dogs are an extremely valuable asset to our service, and are instrumental in detaining suspects and making arrests," said Inspector Harrison.
"They can follow a scent trail or identify a specific scent which is undetectable to humans - even developing technology can't replicate these skills.
"Our officers couldn't carry out their duties to such a high standard without these dogs and they are an integral part of the police family."
Police Dog recruits begin their working life in the PSNI when they are approximately 18 months old and usually continue until the age of eight.
They are carefully selected based on their natural abilities and these traits are then developed and enhanced by continuous training and formal assessment, ensuring that they are safe and efficient in any operational environment.
The Dog Section will regularly deploy search teams to look for missing persons, conduct searches for drugs, firearms, cash and explosive substances, while the General Purpose dogs will respond to calls for assistance ranging from the recovery of stolen property, from burglaries, tracking offenders and the containment of serious crime scenes.
Police use a variety of proven dog breeds for general patrol duties, those being German Shepherd, Belgian Shepherd (Malinois) and Dutch Herder dogs.
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