STEVENAGE DOGWATCH ANNUAL CARNIVAL

AN event held in Stevenage on Saturday, September 12 2009, to encourage dog walkers to sign up to help police fight crime proved a success.

The Dog Watch Carnival, which was held at Pets At Home in Fairlands Way and King George V Playing Fields, saw over 130 people sign up to the Dog Watch initiative. Members of the public flocked to the event and enjoyed a 16 class fun dog show, chatting to a Police dog handler with a working Police dog and a ‘have a go’ dog agility course. The initiative was launched in Stevenage in February and now has over 300 members in total.

Sergeant Ian Blundell from the Stevenage Neighbourhood Team said: “The Stevenage Dog Watch was the first of its kind to be launched in the county and I am pleased people are keen to become involved. Members are encouraged to report suspicious activity or environmental issues and they also receive crime prevention advice.

“Assistance from members of the public is key to helping us prevent and tackle crime. If you are not a dog owner there are many other ways to get involved in helping make Stevenage an even safer place. You could become a special constable, a volunteer, join or set up a Neighbourhood Watch Scheme, attend a Neighbourhood Forum meeting where local priorities are set or simply ensure you report suspicious activity or incidents to police so we direct resources accordingly. If you report your issues we can act on them and I would urge everyone in Stevenage to do their bit.”

Thanks go to the Mayor of Stevenage Sue Myson who opened the event and special guest, TV star Jaye Griffiths who has been in The Bill, assisted in judging the dog classes.

More about Dog Watch:
Dog walkers spend a lot of time out in their communities and would know if something was suspicious or out of the ordinary. Dog Watch encourages members to make sure they report suspicious incidents so officers can look into them, or build possible intelligence. Members will also be asked to consider environmental issues and report incidents of fly tipping and abandoned cars to the council.