Police dog sniffs out stolen laptops
Abbey, a police dog, recently struck gold when she sniffed out 17 laptop computers in a field located close to a West Yorkshire school targeted by burglars. Police officers are working to investigate the case further.
November 30 saw the latest in a recent spate of thefts in schools around the Bradford district take place at Cottingley Village Primary School. Once the local police force were contacted, Abbey and some other police dogs were selected to help find the missing laptop. As Abbey is trained in detecting the faintest of smells, the dog seemed to be the perfect candidate to assist with the investigation of the break-in.
The theft was very similar to incidents in nearby Lidget Green and Heaton Buttershaw School, because the targeted items were computers and electronics in these cases as well. As police followed positive lines of inquiry, the police dog unit began using its senses to find the missing laptop computers.
Sergeant Diane Collins, who is part of the Bingley Neighbourhood Policing Team, spoke about the incident, saying:
“Work has been done to stem the number of burglaries that have been experienced within the district’s schools. Architectural Liaison Officers have also visited schools which have suffered a break-in to discuss how they can meet ‘Secure by Design’ standards.”
Councillor Ralph Berry spoke of there being too many incidents of this nature and of how upsetting these could be for both teachers and children. Police urge that any witnesses of this burglary should get in touch with the Crimestoppers hotline on 0800 555 111, which they can do anonymously.
