Wednesday, 15 March 2017 - 5:55pm |
National News

New Zealand Police Dog Training Centre unveils Wall of Remembrance

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Constable Josh Robertson, Senior Constable Bruce Lamb and the Hon Mark Mitchell
Deputy Commissioner Viv Rickard and the Hon Mark Mitchell unveiling the Wall of Remembrance
The Wall of Remembrance is located at the NZ Police Dog Training Centre
24 Police Dogs are remembered

Police have today unveiled a new Wall of Remembrance at the New Zealand Police Dog Training Centre commemorating the 24 police dogs who have been killed on duty since 1972.

The 6m long x 2m high rock and panelled wall was unveiled by Deputy Commissioner: District Operations Viv Rickard and Minister of Statistics and Associate Justice Minister the Hon Mark Mitchell who is a former dog handler. 

The ceremony was also attended by Deputy Commissioner Resource Management Audrey Sonerson and Deputy Chief Executive Public Affairs Karen Jones, along with other guests including seven retired dog handlers whose dogs have plaques on the wall, and two current dog handlers Senior Constable Bruce Lamb from Christchurch and Constable Josh Robertson from Wellington.  Their dogs Gage and Gazza were both fatally shot while on duty and are included on the wall.

Deputy Commissioner Rickard said New Zealand Police dog teams attend more than 40,000 incidents each year. “The dogs remembered today were our partners and are remembered in the same way as any of our colleagues would be.

“For dog handlers, their police dog is their closest back up.”

Statistics Minister and Associate Justice Minister Mark Mitchell described the Trentham complex as a  “world-class dog training centre” and acknowledged its breeding and training development reputation.

Inspector Todd Southall, national coordinator of Police Dogs, said the new Wall of Remembrance is a significant centre piece for all handlers who train at the Trentham based centre and replaces a previous one which was tucked away in an internal corridor and not readily visible to those visiting the Trentham based facility.

“With the growth of the training centre, the wall remembering our dogs was no longer the centre piece of the training centre that it should be.

“The death of Gazza in Porirua last year reminded us all how a police dog’s death affects the wider police family, and indeed the public.  It reinforced our desire to open a significant point of remembrance.”

Constable Robertson and his family unveiled the remembrance plaque for Gazza, killed during an incident in Porirua on 22 April 2016.

He said the ceremony brought back a lot of emotion, but also some closure.

“I had Gazza from eight weeks old. He delivered the whole way through and he taught me how to be a good dog handler. You can’t describe the bond you have with your police dog.  I miss him every day.”

He is now working operationally with another patrol dog with the Wellington dog section.

Details of the dogs who have been killed while on duty since 1972 are listed below along with the names of their handlers, and officers’ ranks at the time:

Nero     Napier                 24.11.1972           Constable Dave Painter BEM
Nick       Wellington         04.12.1975           Constable Murray Cameron
Thor      New Plymouth    28.07.1977           Constable Des McKibbin
Barlow  Wellington         21.11.1979             Constable Allan Rowlands
Jon        Christchurch      03.11.1982            Constable Geoff Stock
Ebba     Auckland            21.03.1983            Constable Eoin Gorrie
Panzer  Auckland            11.07.1983            Constable Grant Bradford
Luke      Auckland            28.10.1983           Constable Jim Donald
Sarge    Auckland            12.10.1984            Constable Eoin Gorrie
Ozi         Tauranga            27.10.1988          Constable Eoin Gorrie
Josh      Auckland            25.03.1989            Constable Colin Howard
Rada     Hastings             18.12.1989            Constable Grant Diver
Lance    Dunedin             18.10.1991            Constable Craig Edge
Ryka      Auckland            15.05.1992           Constable Steve Shadbolt
Rex        Wellington         20.10.1992            Constable Geoff Gwyn
Spike     Tauranga            15.05.1994           Constable John Roff
Kone     Christchurch       18.05.1994           Constable Andy Phillips
Jock       Matata                17.07.1994           Constable AJ Staples
Mal       Auckland            03.10.1996            Constable Shane Salmond
Valour  Kawerau              08.02.1998            Constable Bruce McLeod
Duke     Oamaru              18.02.2003            Senior Constable Bill Phiskie
Enzo      Tauranga            09.08.2007           Constable Kayne Cording
Gage     Christchurch      13.07.2010            Senior Constable Bruce Lamb
Gazza    Wellington         22.04.2016            Constable Josh Robertson

ENDS 

Police Media Centre 

For further photo requests, please contact josie.cochrane@police.govt.nz

Related downloads

Constable Josh Robertson, Senior Constable Bruce Lamb and the Hon Mark Mitchell
Constable Josh Robertson, Senior Constable Bruce Lamb and the Hon Mark Mitchell JPG - 49KB
Deputy Commissioner Viv Rickard and the Hon Mark Mitchell unveiling the Wall of Remembrance
Deputy Commissioner Viv Rickard and the Hon Mark Mitchell unveiling the Wall of Remembrance JPG - 63KB
The Wall of Remembrance is located at the NZ Police Dog Training Centre
The Wall of Remembrance is located at the NZ Police Dog Training Centre JPG - 67KB
24 Police Dogs are remembered
24 Police Dogs are remembered JPG - 49KB