A POLICE dog “adopted” from a rescue centre just three months ago is now helping enforce a Warrington college’s zero tolerance policy on drug use.
Eighteen-month-old Springer Spaniel Rufus – a passive scanning dog – was given a guided tour of one of his new beats at Warrington Collegiate’s Winwick Road campus by Health and Safety Officer Gary Lindsay.
It is part of a partnership between Warrington Collegiate and Cheshire Police aimed at stopping the use of drugs by young people in the town.
Rufus was joined by his handler, licensing enforcement officer Neil Jukes, Warrington Community Safety Partnership Inspector Richard Spedding and Warrington Youth Engagement Officer Jeff Mather, who regularly gives talks to students about a variety of issues including drug use, underage drinking and cyber-bullying.
Gary said: “It’s important for the police to have a presence at the College and the partnership means we’re able to have at least four visits a year from Rufus.
“It’s preventative and it’s about stopping drug use in the first place. We have a zero tolerance policy on drug use here at Warrington Collegiate and if having visits from Rufus and the police can help to reduce the amount of young people involved with drugs across Warrington, then it’s a massive success.”
Rufus completed his training before Christmas after being “adopted” by Cheshire Police from a rescue centre three months ago.
He has already seen success while on the job and will be taken into Warrington town centre on a weekend to “sniff out” any wrong doing.
Police dog Rufus is pictured with Warrington Community Safety Partnership Inspector Richard Spedding, licencing enforcement officer Neil Jukes, Warrington Youth Engagement Officer Jeff Mather and Warrington Collegiate Health and Safety Officer Gary Lindsay.
