Behind the tape
Crimewriter and serving police officer Lisa Cutts answers your legal procedure queries
Q If there is evidence of suspicious activity suggestive of dognappers in a particular area, and someone rings up 101 to report this, what would the next course of action be?
A Depending on the activity and when it occurred, the initial response may simply be to send officers to the location to see what they find and deal with anyone in the area. If it appears to be an organised criminal gang, it may prompt more officers to delve further, deal with whatever they find and very possibly, set up long-term preventative measures such as free dog-chipping. The theft of puppies from a reputable breeder is a very lucrative business so if the investigation points in the direction of something on a larger scale, this may also lead to a planned operation to prevent further offences and arrest those responsible.