Epic moment police dog ‘DJ' tracks down teens

News.com.au

21-05-2025

Queensland Police bodycam footage has captured the incredible moment a police dog was able to hunt down two teen boys accused of stealing a car in Cairns last Friday.
The German Shepherd named DJ can be seen approaching an abandoned blue Hyundai Tuscon and catching a scent inside of it before bounding into bushland.
The officer and DJ navigate rocky terrain and streams before successfully finding the teens crouching down under trees.
The officer can be heard shouting, 'You're under arrest, do not move,' as DJ barks at them.
'Do not move all right. You are both under arrest for unlawful use of a motor vehicle,' the cop says.
The clip then cuts to the pair back at their vehicle as the officer tells DJ he's a 'very good man', accompanied by pats.
The clip has been viewed over 600,000 times and gathered praise from impressed Aussies.
'Good boy DJ!!!! Extra treats for you,' said one viewer.
'Fantastic work from the police dog and handler,' said another.
'I hope he got a special dinner after all that hard work,' said a third.
Police allege that two boys aged 15 and 16, a 15-year-old girl, and a 17-year-old girl were involved with a Hyundai Tucson stolen from a Trinity Park address at around 3am Friday morning.
The vehicle was tracked by Polair travelling around the Caravonica and Smithfield area before a tyre deflation device was utilised just after 1pm.
The vehicle was abandoned shortly after, with the two girls being arrested nearby.
All four will be alleged to have also been involved in other incidents over the past few months.
The four have been hit with a total of 21 charges including seven counts of unlawful use of motor vehicle and seven counts of stealing as well as enter dwelling, and assault occasioning bodily harm.
The 16-year-old boy was refused bail and reappeared before the Cairns Children's Court on Monday.
The rest are due to appear before the Cairns Children's Court today.
The incident comes amid a staggering rise in youth crime across Queensland.
Alarming data in November 2024 showed youth crime jumped more than 10 per cent in the previous financial year, as the Crisafulli government pushed its signature 'adult crime, adult time' legislation through parliament.
The statistics revealed youth crime jumped 12 per cent in 2023/24 compared to the previous year.
The number of proven offences committed by young people rose from 41,155 in 2022/23 to 46,130 in 2023/24.
Children were also committing more crime on average at 14.1 offences per young person in 2023/24, up from 12.5 per youth in 2022/23.
In 2020, young people aged 10 to 17 were found guilty of 3142 illegal use of motor vehicle charges.
This jumped to 5063 charges in 2021 before skyrocketing to 7087 in 2023.