PCC takes part in Dog Walk to promote Bedfordshire Police volunteering scheme and pet theft

The PCC took part in the walk at Ampthill Park along with his team and volunteers from the Dog Watch scheme.

The purpose of the walk was to raise awareness of the Dog Watch Scheme, recruit volunteers and also to highlight the importance of being extra vigilant about pet theft.

The Dog Watch volunteering scheme is an initiative that encourages dog owners to be proactive and vigilant while walking their pets in their area. The PCC says he is passionate about supporting the volunteers who act as the eyes and ears for the local community and to report anything out of the ordinary on their regular routes.

Because of their local knowledge, dog walkers are often the first people to notice unusual or suspicious activity and anti-social behaviour. They can link in with police to report this information.

Dog theft is not currently defined as a crime, however, members of the public have signed a petition make dog theft a specific criminal offence and Parliament is now considering this for a debate.

Mr Akinbusoye said: “I am proud to be keeping my campaign commitment on community-led policing. I was amazed by the enthusiasm of our Dog Watch volunteers, for community safety and supporting Bedfordshire Police with outcomes”.

Kathryn Patrick, one of the Dog Watch volunteers, added: “We were pleased to have in attendance with us our new PCC Festus Akinbusoye and his team. We had a great walk and had lots of interest and enquiries about Dog Watch which hopefully lead to many more volunteers.

"The watch schemes are a great way to meet new friends whilst supporting and keeping the community safe. Many thanks to all our volunteers and special thanks to the PCC for taking time out to support us”.

You can sign up for the Dog Watch scheme by emailing [email protected].