Launceston shoppers can expect to see more of ‘Fang’ the drug detector dog as police increase patrols in the city.
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Officers were in the CBD on Thursday with the law enforcing Labrador who managed to sniff out seven people.
The offenders were searched by police and four were found with drugs and charged with possession.
Officers also took Fang to Prospect Vale Market Place and Meadow Mews shopping centre. As a result, a person was found with a large knife at Kings Meadows and a number of other people were found with drugs.
Launceston Inspector Darren Hopkins said the patrols were part of a push to increase police presence throughout the city and surrounding suburbs.
Inspector Hopkins said it was about making people feel safer and also deterring offenders.
“We certainly expect to keep it up and increase our visibility around shopping centres which will hopefully be a deterrence for shop lifters,” he said.
“We are aiming to patrol through every shopping centre in the Launceston division at least once a week and to bring the drug dog along.”
Among the shopping centres that will be targeted by police are Riverside, Mowbray Marketplace, Meadow Mews, Prospect Vale Market Place, Rocherlea and the CBD.
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