A new service level agreement (SLA) about investigating crime relating to guide dogs has been signed between a senior officer from Hertfordshire Constabulary, on behalf of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire police forces, and the charity Guide Dogs.
The three forces have been working closely with the national charity to ensure the best practices are adopted in a consistent approach across the three counties. The SLA will be applied to all crimes involving guide dogs.
An attack on a guide dog can have long lasting effects on their owners as it can create a great deal of anxiety and reduce a person’s sense of safety.
Time without a guide dog, which undergoes specific training, can be detrimental to the freedom of the owner.