{"id":2999,"date":"2021-03-16T06:24:57","date_gmt":"2021-03-16T06:24:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/policecommissioner.net\/dog-thefts-why-i-got-involved\/"},"modified":"2021-03-16T06:24:57","modified_gmt":"2021-03-16T06:24:57","slug":"dog-thefts-why-i-got-involved","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/policecommissioner.net\/dog-thefts-why-i-got-involved\/","title":{"rendered":"Dog thefts …. why I got involved"},"content":{"rendered":"

Giving the public a voice on local policing issues was one, if not\u00a0the<\/em>\u00a0most important reason that Police & Crime Commissioners were created in 2012, and it\u2019s something I take exceedingly seriously.<\/p>\n

How that voice is heard and how it\u2019s communicated to the chief constable and his officers is an important question, perhaps best illustrated by a spate of recent crimes involving animals. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Man\\’s (and women\\’s) best friend<\/h3>\n

Many will be aware of the public outcry caused by the theft of dogs in the county.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a truly awful crime which can only be carried out by the most uncaring and callous members of the criminal fraternity.<\/p>\n

Gloucestershire Constabulry has its core responsibilities, but as Commissioner I also set the Force priorities which reflect what the public wants locally.<\/p>\n

Unique to Gloucestershire is the priority\u00a0 \u2018A Compassionate Approach\u2019 <\/a>to the welfare of animals.<\/p>\n

Whether that be domestic, wild or farm animals, our priority specifically makes the distinction between the theft of innate items like lawnmowers, and sentient creatures such as dogs \u2013 something the law still fails to recognise.<\/p>\n

You tell me, I listen<\/h3>\n

\u2018A Compassionate Approach\u2019 is a priority because you told me it\u2019s what you want and expect, in much the same way you expect our police to operate in an environmentally sustainable way.<\/p>\n

So, if it\u2019s a priority what difference does it make?<\/p>\n

Before the recent spate of dog thefts, my office raised the alarm with the force because of trends seen elsewhere.<\/p>\n

Within hours of being aware of the first theft I sought assurances that the force was fully investigating all aspects of these crimes, leaving no stone unturned.<\/p>\n

I\\’m not the police… BUT<\/h3>\n

As Commissioner I cannot stray into operational policing, that\u2019s for the Chief Constable, but I can (and did) seek reassurances and answers to the many questions I thought you would be asking.<\/p>\n

An ongoing criminal investigation limits what I can say<\/a>, but over the weekend a man was arrested heading away from Cheltenham on the M6 with 30-40 malnourished puppies in his vehicle.<\/p>\n

While I don\u2019t want to detract from the help of the public and the great police work that led to that arrest, I have no doubt having \u2018A Compassionate Approach\u2019 as a priority, and seeking reassurances from the police on behalf of the many thousands who took to Facebook, made a difference.<\/p>\n

A dog is for life not just for Christmas<\/h3>\n

Nothing you, me or the police can do will diminish the suffering of these victims, save the safe return of their beloved dogs, and I know there is still far more to be done to protect animals from heartless criminals.<\/p>\n

I assure you that work will continue.<\/p>\n

* \u00a0This article was originally written for the Gloucestershire Echo & Gloucester Citizen<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Giving the public a voice on local policing issues was one, if not\u00a0the\u00a0most important reason that Police & Crime Commissioners […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3001,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[64,157,158,23,26,9,159],"yoast_head":"\nDog thefts .... why I got involved - policecommissioner.net<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When man's best friend gets stolen, social media erupts. 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