A ‘cheeky chap’ puppy who was named after a crime fighting canine on TV is following in the footsteps of his namesake is now set to go on ‘Paw Patrol’ for Nottinghamshire Police.

PD Chase is now ready to get on the case after he made the mark and passed a number of tests. PC Louise Roberts and Chase have spent the last three months training together and working on such skills as chasing, tracking and detaining, all of which the aptly named pup will be required to do as part of his new job with the force.

PD Chase was named by Louise not long after arriving at the force after her daughter had taken a shine to the children’s TV programme, Paw Patrol, and in particular fell in love with Chase from the show.

The German Shepherd, who is now 16 months old, was brought to the force just before he was one and Louise has been working with him ever since. Canine cops have an extremely important job, which includes sniffing out suspicious scents and quickly catching criminals, and for this they require a combination of talent, skills and intuition to pass the tests and make it on to the team.

Louise herself has a raft of experience, having joined the force in 2000 and spending time on response, where she was on the frontline and ready to be called to a whole host of incidents, including burglaries and a number of road traffic collisions. She then specialised and began working within Operational Support, starting in the firearms department and then finding her path into the dog section, where she has been for the past five years with her previous canine companion, PD Kobi.

The pair received their licence on Tuesday 9 February 2021, marking the start of their time together at Nottinghamshire Police and making it official that Chase is ready to go out and protect the county’s streets.

PC Roberts said: “It’s been fantastic over the last few months training Chase and getting to know him. He particularly loves the search element and I think he’s going to be a brilliant police dog. It’s a really proud moment to get him through his training and see him licence. We’ve been paired together ever since he came to the force so it’s very much like watching your kids grow up.

“Having a pup brought to you as a blank canvas and with nothing in him is so exciting as, especially being an experienced handler, you know exactly what you want them to achieve in their career and seeing each little milestone being reached is amazing.”

“I’m particularly proud of this journey as I’m a single mum to a two-and-a-half year old daughter. Being a dog handler is a commitment as well as a job. Chase comes home with me and I care for him every day alongside my retired police dog, Kobi, as well as juggling the responsibilities of having my daughter.

“I’m so lucky that with the support of my colleagues, my trainer Bob, Deputy Chief Constable Rachel Barber and my parents, I’ve not only been able to continue this amazing career path, but also bring Chase on during this time. It just goes to show that policing, and even a demanding role such as a dog handler, can indeed be a career that works no matter what your personal circumstances are.

“Chase has done brilliantly throughout training. He’s a cheeky chap and I know I’ll have my work cut out with him, but the positive side of that is I know he’ll look after me. He’s clearly loving his job and is so enthusiastic about everything we’ve challenged him with. The next stage now is for him to get out on the job and for us both really to develop our partnership and bring out the ton of potential he has to be a fantastic police dog. It’s time to go and get those results, find missing people, and catch criminals who might have otherwise have escaped officers.

Sergeant Jay Lee, of Nottinghamshire Police’s dog section, said: “PC Roberts and PD Chase have done exceptionally well over the past few months. They already have a real bond and I’m excited to see what results they’ll bring back over the course of what I’m sure will be a fantastic partnership.

“Dog Section thrives on this partnership work and the dedication Louise has put in to training Chase, as well as juggling her own very busy life, is brilliant. I’m very glad that the department and the force have been able to support her and find a training regime that suits both of them and brings out their potential.

“Chase is proving himself to be a very talented dog and he will be an absolute asset to the department. Many congratulations to the pair on licensing and we look forward to seeing them out across Nottinghamshire, keeping the county’s streets safe and tracking down those people we really want to find.”

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