WITH SIX arrests already under his belt, Geoffrey the police dog is in Bunbury and ready for work.
The purebred German Shepherd and his handler Jake Carruthers, arrived in Bunbury last week to be permanently stationed in the South West.
Bunbury police officer-in-charge Sergeant Peter Jenal has welcomed the K9 Unit.
“It will mean we can be more proactive, where assistance is needed or picking up scents for burglaries and stolen motor vehicles,” he said.
Constable Carruthers has warned Bunbury residents that Geoffrey is a trained police dog and should not be approached or touched by the public.
“When he is working he is very switched on but he will switch off when he is home,” constable Carruthers said.
He warned the dog is trained to be vicious and attack on command.
His trainer said Geoffrey was excellent at switching between roles of hunting and tracking.
The dog will be used for both tracking and capturing offenders.
“If a police officer yells at you to stop – then stop,” Constable Carruthers warned.
“If you are moving he will bite you until you stand still.”
The dog has been working full time with his trainer for three months now.
He was used in Busselton over the weekend to assist police with a seize and to capture a prolific offender in Bunbury on Sunday.
The dog will be used to track offenders, locate missing persons, assist with property and article searches, crowd control and protecting his handler and police officers.
CAP: Handler Constable Jake Carruthers with Bunbury’s new police dog Geoffrey.