Veteran police dog calls time on career - The Stratford Observer

Veteran police dog calls time on career

Stratford Editorial 9th Sep, 2014 Updated: 28th Oct, 2016   0

WARWICKSHIRE Police’s longest serving police dog has called time on his crime-fighting career.

Specialist sniffer dog Jake has been on the force for ten years helping search for drugs, ammunition, firearms and bank notes.

The12-year-old Springer Spaniel has made over 500 successful finds during his police dog days, including an estimated £4.5 million worth of drugs, £650,000 in cash, together with weapons and ammunition.

Jake was initially based in Rugby but later went on to cover all areas of Warwickshire and West Mercia. He has also worked in ten other counties throughout the UK.




PC Andy Crouch, Jake’s handler, said: “I have a number of memorable moments whilst working with Jake over the years.

“I was searching a caravan when Jake began barking and jumping up towards a high kitchen cupboard. I lifted him up where he was able to pull a piece of wood trim away between the cabinet and the ceiling. I then saw a pistol pointing towards me in the gap Jake had made.


“On another time, I was speaking to a senior officer at a large dance festival at the entrance gate to the site. Suddenly, Jake pulled on his lead so hard I lost grip. He then jumped through the open window of a moving car and indicated by barking and scratching on the steering wheel, whilst sitting on the startled driver’s lap. Drugs were later found inside the steering wheel airbag compartment. Needless to say the visiting officer was very impressed!”

And Jake has not let age get in the way of catching criminals.

PC Crouch added: “For the past 18 months, Jake has been almost completely deaf. I’ve had to control him using only hand signals. Despite this, he’s still performed exceptionally well by helping us to catch criminals and protect people from harm.”

Jake did his last shift this week, and is now looking forward to his well-earned retirement, living in rural Leicestershire with PC Crouch and his four other dogs.

PC Andy Crouch with long-serving sniffer dog Jake. (s)

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