Paw Patrol: Drug detection dogs join city centre crackdown
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
Two action days involving highly trained drug detection dogs have resulted in five stop searches being conducted, with two seizures of Class B drugs.
The dogs are trained to detect illegal Class A and B substances and were deployed across towns and the city centre to disrupt criminality and provide reassurance to communities.
“Drugs can cause huge problems. They are illegal, can lead to other serious criminal behaviour, and can make people feel unsafe in their own communities.
“Deploying these highly trained dogs has helped detect illegal and dangerous substances and take them off our streets.
“It’s only through strong, proactive action that Wakefield will continue to be the safest place in West Yorkshire. We want to prevent more serious crime from happening and we’re working every day to make our communities safer.”
Cllr Rebecca Webster
Cabinet Member for Safer Strronger Communities
The operation was part of Wakefield Council’s SAVED Month (Speak Against Violence Every Day) - aimed at preventing serious violence, raising awareness and creating safer communities.
Two action days took place in Castleford, Pontefract and Normanton and in Wakefield city centre – targeting areas such as the bus station, train station and Cathedral precinct.
In addition to the drug-related activity, officers deployed on the operation made two arrests for unrelated matters. One person was arrested on suspicion of robbery and theft offences, and a second person was arrested on an outstanding warrant.
It was funded by West Yorkshire Police and the Community Safety Partnership.
Inspector James Thistlewood of West Yorkshire Police said: “Further operations of this nature will be carried out using specially trained drug search dogs to keep our communities safe, especially in and around the nighttime economy.
“Drug misuse can often fuel violence, sexual violence, spiking incidents and offences against women and girls, so we are pleased to be working with partners to make our communities safer places.”