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Police say man’s best friend, a trusty dog owner and some speedy work by officers potentially prevented car thefts early this Thursday morning.
A Greenlane resident who was woken by his dog barking around 3.45am investigated immediately, Auckland Police say.
“His trusty pooch had alerted him to two people outside his home apparently scoping out parked cars with a torch,” says inspector Jim Wilson, the Auckland City East Police area commander.
But by the time police arrived the pair were on the move and fled despite being signalled to stop.
“Police monitored the vehicle from a distance until the police helicopter arrived overhead to monitor the situation.”
The car was successfully spiked but kept going onto nearby Great South Road, and officers observed it driving on the wrong side of the road.
Wilson says a dog unit was deployed when the driver finally abandoned the vehicle at Garland Road and took off on foot.
“He was apprehended nearby and received minor police dog bites and was given medical treatment,” Wilson says.
“A passenger remained in the vehicle and was arrested without incident.”
The 38-year-old driver is due to appear in the Auckland District Court, charged with failing to stop, driving in a dangerous manner, possessing cannabis and possessing an offensive weapon, police say.
“Fortunately, it appears no vehicles in the street were successfully broken into and it goes to show the importance of vigilance,” Wilson says.
“After a busy night it’s left two smart dogs catching up on some much-needed sleep.”
- Police remind the public to report suspicious activity as soon as possible by calling 111.
