Notts police dog makes eight arrests on first shift

New police dog Morse has already had a successful start to his career with eight arrests so far

The 21-month-old Dutch Herder had a lot to live up to when he took over from his predecessor Razor – a hound with hundreds of arrests for Nottinghamshire Police under his collar.

But on his first shift PD Morse tracked and found a drink driver wanted for domestic violence offences, chased down a sex offender, found a man hiding from officers on a conservatory roof, made sure a missing woman was found safe and well, and located five burglars.

Morse has been with the force since he was a puppy and has now worked with his handler PC Stuart Hazard for six months and is trained as a general purpose dog in 19 disciplines including tracking people, finding property, agility and obedience.

PC Hazard said: “Morse has adapted very quickly from being a puppy in training to fully licensed police dog in the real world. It’s still early in his career but so far he has coped really well with the transition and taken criminals off the streets.

“Along with our other dogs and their handlers, he is helping to make Nottinghamshire a safer place.”

Since his first shift in March, Morse has been instrumental in further arrests, most notably stopping a man armed with a knife and another with a sword and he has been nominated along with officers for a prestigious Chief Constable’s Commendation.

Inspector Annie Reavely said: “I’m immensely proud of our dogs and what they achieve. I know how much time every handler puts in behind the scenes to achieve results like these.

“Our aim is to support front line staff in keeping the public safe and there really is no better way to do it than a partnership such as the one shared by Stuart and Morse.”