Dog Unit Expansion Sees Spike In Arrests To Keep Communities Safer

Arrests made by the Police Tactical Dog Unit have significantly increased in Oldham and Tameside since it was expanded this year.

Greater Manchester Police’s dogs fulfil a variety of roles from tracking and locating suspects to searching for items including drugs, cash and firearms. 

In Oldham, PD Axel recovered a suspected firearm thrown into a bush in April. In Dukinfield, a dog and handler were first on the scene of a stabbing in March. Officer started CPR before paramedics arrived.  

In Stalybridge, PD Kolbe tracked down two offenders along a canal path after robbery of a delivery driver with one of the offenders located hiding in a bin shed in March.

GMP has an extra 11 dog handlers following a recruitment drive to better protect communities and respond to incidents at the busiest times. 

The dogs and their handlers work a 24-hour shift pattern so can be deployed when needed during the night and evening shifts which are the busiest. 

In 2024, the Dog Unit was responsible for 374 arrests – more than one a day; since the new shift patterns were introduced in February that figure is up 37 per cent to around 43 arrests a month. 

In the last two months, the Tactical Dog Unit has been responsible for arresting several burglary and robbery suspects, and two men on suspicion for rape, as well as recovering 13 weapons. 

On one weekend this month, the Dog Unit was responsible for making nine arrests for a variety of offences including burglary, robbery and criminal damage. 

Daisy, one of the newest recruits, recently found a £10,000 watch discarded after a burglary in Cheshire and a wanted man was located and arrested  in Hulme on Sunday (May 18). 

Superintendent Paul Walker, from GMP Specialist Operations Branch, said: “GMP’s dogs play a vital role within the force, supporting many other teams including neighbourhood and response officers as they keep our communities safe patrolling Greater Manchester 24 hours a day. 

“They fulfil a variety of roles, including general purpose dogs that track and locate suspects, and support firearms operations and search dogs that assist investigations by finding illegal items including drugs, cash and firearms.    

“The new dog handlers mean we have increased our coverage across the day and to allow us to have extra dogs on night shifts when demand for their skills is at its highest.     

“So now if there is a need for a dog to help catch a suspect, track or find people or evidence then we'll have dogs ready, available and nearby to help local teams prevent and detect crime and catch those blighting our communities.” 

Shift patterns include targeted patrols and response to on-going incidents across Greater Manchester.  

The specialist search dogs help in the recovery of criminal assets, including large amounts of cash, drugs, firearms and support searches for large public events and ongoing investigations, including the successful prosecution in the Stuart Everett trial this year.   

Superintendent Walker added: “Recent successes have included our dogs locating a firearm concealed in a bush in Oldham and chasing and detaining a number of suspected burglars.    

“These types of jobs happen each and every day across Greater Manchester as the Dog Unit supports the force 24 hours a day, every day.   

“Calls for the unit's support come in at any time and frequently during the night, and we are always ready to react and respond immediately.    

“That is why all our dogs and handlers are trained to the highest standards and we will continue our patrols and are determined to keep our communities safe using all the resources available to us.”