Safeguarding Minister visits Hertfordshire Constabulary

Jess Phillips, Safeguarding Minister, visited headquarters last week to see the dog unit and find out about the work being done to tackle online predators.

On Monday 27 January, the Minister enjoyed a tour of the newly-opened dog training facility in Welwyn Garden City and met ‘Digital Evidence Detection Dog’ Micky, a specially trained police dog who helps officers to find mobile phones, SIM cards and other digital devices.

Earlier that day, Micky had played a crucial role at a warrant in Welwyn Hatfield.

A registered sex offender – a man aged in his 20s – was subsequently charged with two breaches of his sexual harm prevention order and remanded to court. He gave no plea and was remanded to prison.

Another man, aged in his 20s, who was arrested on suspicion of possession of indecent images, was bailed with conditions pending a full digital examination of his seized devices.

The warrant was carried out by the constabulary’s Child Online Safeguarding Team, supported by the Public Protection Unit and the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire (BCH) Dog Unit.

Chief Constable Andy Prophet said: “A huge thank you to the BCH Dog Unit, particularly Sergeant Dan Amos and Sergeant Jim Hoare, who did a fantastic job hosting the Safeguarding Minister and showcasing the great work they do to help catch criminals. It was great to see the new dog training facility, the media were braver than me with how close they were getting to the kennel cage bars!

“I am truly proud of the excellent work we do to catch online predators and put them in front of the courts. Last year, our Child Online Safeguarding Team achieved a total of 316 charges resulting in 106 years imprisonment terms. This year has already seen another 12 years of prison sentences handed out. This is impressive work, and I am grateful to everyone for their dedication and hard work in achieving these brilliant results.”

For advice on keeping children safe online, visit Get Safe Online (opens in a new window).

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