Police dog Otto tracks down fleeing driver following crash in Flintshire

Police Dog Otto proved his prowess once again following an incident in the Flintshire area during the early hours of Saturday morning.

PD Otto, part of the Cheshire and North Wales Police Dog Alliance, was deployed to the scene of a road traffic collision in North Flintshire where the driver had fled.

Utilising his exceptional tracking skills, Otto followed the scent trail from the collision site all the way to the front door of the alleged suspect’s home.

Cheshire and North Wales Police Dogs shared on Facebook how Otto, a Belgian Malinois, played a pivotal role in apprehending the suspect.

“PD Otto went to an RTC in the North Flintshire area in the early hours of this morning where the driver decided not to hang around. PD Otto tracked from the scene to the front door of the driver’s house where he was arrested!” the post said.

The use of dogs like PD Otto has proven to be a valuable asset for police, as they are able to quickly and efficiently track suspects in a wide range of situations.

PD Otto is one of the North Wales & Cheshire Police Dog Alliance’s general-purpose police dogs.

General-purpose police dogs are multi-disciplined canines who are trained to work under a variety of conditions.

Dog breeds used tend to be German Shepherds, Dutch Herders, or Malinois.

They have a depth of skills that includes searching for missing persons, tracking suspects from crime scenes, and recovering recently discarded articles that could be used as evidence.

They also protect their handlers and other officers in dangerous situations. Even the mere presence of these police dogs can be enough to discourage bad behaviour.

Most handlers in the North Wales & Cheshire Police Dog Alliance have a general-purpose dog and a specialist dog, such as a Labrador, Cocker, or Springer Spaniel.