Derbyshire police dog team honoured in national awards

Dog handler PC Andy Bailey, cash and drugs detection dog PD Tilly, and general purpose dog PD Riley were among those shortlisted in the inaugural Thin Blue Paw Awards.

In his nomination by fellow officers, PC Bailey was described as ‘the epitome of humility’.

Nominating sergeants Donna Abbott and Lee Parkin said: “He is professional to the core and, even with his impending retirement looming, is still one of the most proactive and effective handlers in Derbyshire police.

"Everyone knows him, everyone likes him and he is always there when you need him.”

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PC Bailey has worked with golden Labrador PD Tilly – a Dogs Trust rescue dog – for nine years and the pair are due to retire together in 2022.

Throughout her career, Tilly has found tens of thousands of pounds in cash and approximately £25,000 in drugs which are now off of the streets.

She recently located £40,000 in cash and drugs hidden behind a false wall.

PC Bailey also handles general purpose dog, German Shepherd Riley, and the pair have been described as a ‘formidable’ team who have successfully located missing persons and chased and detained suspects. Riley will also retire with his handler next year.

At the awards, they received a ‘Highly Commended’ certificate in the Crimefighting category.

Also celebrating was handler PC Jen Ellse, from Derbyshire, who works for Nottinghamshire Police, and her dog Quantum.

The German Shepherd cross Belgian Malinois, who serves Nottinghamshire Police as a general purpose dog, was named as a runner-up in the Outstanding Bravery category, receiving a ‘Highly Commended’ certificate.

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PC Ellse said: “In May 2018, Quantum was stabbed in the face while trying to detain two robbery suspects who he’d tracked from the crash site of a car they’d stolen. I was also injured.

“In April 2020, Quantum was injured as he detained an offender, who had knocked a British Transport Police officer unconscious, at Nottingham Train Station. He was beaten, and injured, by a large piece of wood with a nail in it.”

The Thin Blue Paw Foundation is a national dog welfare charity that celebrates and supports working and retired police dogs across the UK.