Six men have been detained in connection with alleged housebreaking and thefts following excellent work by police dogs and handlers with the Lothian and Borders Police Specialist Support Unit.
At around 4.25am this morning (Wednesday 11 July), police were called to Craigcrook Road in Blackhall after two men were spotted acting suspiciously in the area. Officers detained one man within a white Transit van but another male made off into nearby woodland. He was tracked by Police Dog Zico, a German Shepherd, who immediately picked up the scent and the man was very quickly traced hiding within foliage.
It’s been a busy old morning’s work for Zico – an hour earlier police responded to an address in Clovenstone Drive after receiving reports of men trying to steal a car. On arrival, a group of men made off from the scene and were pursued by officers. Police dogs Ellie and Zico were deployed and within a short time all four men had been traced in and around garden areas of Clovenstone Gardens.
The men detained during both these incidents are all currently assisting police with their investigations.
Police are also following a positive line of enquiry following the theft of a quad bike at Ransfield Farm in Ratho around 6am yesterday (Tuesday 10 July 2012). PD Ellie, who was deployed to assist with the search for two men seen stealing the vehicle, soon after recovered a balaclava believed to belong to one of the suspects. The item is now being analysed by police, who are warning would-be thieves to think twice before becoming involved in acquisitive crime.
Chief Superintendent Derek Robertson, Operations Division Commander said: “Lothian and Borders Police are committed to promoting preventative policing and regularly engage with our local communities to offer advice and guidance on how to keep properties and valuables safe from criminals. However, whenever a crime does occur, we will use all the resources at our disposal to identify and trace those responsible and bring them to justice.”
He continued: “Our police dogs are trained to an extremely high standard and are regularly used with great success during the various operations and day-to-day policing duties the Force undertakes. As these recent incidents have shown, those who flee the scene of a crime can and will still be brought to justice based on the competent work carried out by the our dogs, their handlers and the other specialist resources Lothian and Borders Police can utilise during an investigation.”