Police report that they are stepping up patrols against cash-in-transit robberies in the run-up to Christmas. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) say that for the first time their police dog Luther will be part of the team.
Luther, 11 months, joined GMP when he was eight weeks, and will be joining the patrols with his handler PC Phil Monaghan and his other police dog Trouble, aged seven and a half. Both are black German Shepherds.
PC Monaghan said: “I have had Luther since he was eight weeks old and this will be his first Christmas on patrol joining Trouble who I have been working with for six years. They are a great team.”
GMP says that patrols will be routinely following vans delivering and collecting cash from ATM machines, banks, and shops so that security guards remain safe during their busiest time of the year.
Detective Supt Mark Smith said: “We will be keeping a close watch over the vans and using a range of specialist resources including the police dogs like Luther. Cash-in-transit robberies are serious and often violent crimes that put drivers and the wider community at risk.
“We will be working with colleagues from forces across the North West as we know the criminals will travel across the region to commit these crimes. The message is simple we are using everything we can to make it difficult for criminals this Christmas.”
