Police officer and furry friend Vixen set to protect the streets of Staffordshire over festive period

Pc Sam Jones is set to hit the streets with two-year-old Dutch Shepherd PD Vixen – and the pair have already made a number of arrests before the big day.

She was deployed on a vehicle pursuit, where she detained three men who attempted to flee the vehicle. Officers had been in pursuit of the vehicle for some time, until the three occupants exited – but they didn't get past Vixen.

PD Vixen has also been tracking down suspected burglars in the county. She was sent into an abandoned premises by Pc Jones following reports of burglary in the area, where she located two men inside and called in officers to assist – leading to two arrests.

Criminal-catching aside, she also assisted units in tracing a high-risk missing person earlier this month. The individual in question was identified after a collaborative search effort, where they were thankfully brought to safety.

Pc Jones said: “We’ve been to a variety of different incidents over the December period so far and I am very pleased with her work in assisting myself and other units which have been deployed.

“We became operational back in June 2020 and we are still developing our experience as we go.

"I believe that it is vital as a handler for you to expose your PD to a variety of different factors, whether this is crime related, missing people, public order incidents or lesser urgent community concerns.

"Vixen has been able to attend a fair few of these over the Christmas period – and I have been very impressed with her work."

Pc Jones added: “There is nothing more rewarding than seeing your dog make a difference – whether this is finding someone in need or detaining a suspect – it is one of the best feelings in the world.

"The only way I can describe it is like working with your best friend. She certainly deserves a couple of treats on the 25th."