Eight more dynamic duos are working to keep our communities and borders safe after the latest graduation from the Dog Training Centre (DTC) at Trentham.
Four Police patrol dog teams and four Customs detector dog teams graduated in front of their bosses, colleagues and loved ones on Thursday 7 August.
Commissioner Richard Chambers congratulated the new teams and thanked families, friends and co-workers for being a great support for the graduates.
“These teams couldn’t do it without your help at work and at home and we recognise that and thank you for your encouragement and guidance.”
Three of the new Police handlers are first-timers. The fourth graduated with his second dog.
Two of the Police handlers are Wellington based - Constable Jordan Steegh and his new dog Hawke, and Constable Mike Longstaff and his dog Marley.
Jordan and now-retired Manaia appeared together on episodes of the TV series Dog Squad for about three years.
“Even though Manaia just recently retired, that will be a great memory to have of our time together,” he says. “And who knows? Maybe I’ll do the same with Hawke if I get a chance.
“Hawke is a very sweet dog, and I look forward to getting out there and working with him.”
Hawke’s fosterer, Constable Shaun Jones, also rates him.
“Hawke was definitely one of the best dogs I have ever fostered," she says.
“It’s so cool to see the progress of the puppy at eight weeks old - a cute terror - growing up and becoming a fully-fledged deployable dog.
Hawke gets some tips on parade etiquette from Constable Jordan Steegh.
For Mike, graduating with Marley is a first. “He’s very keen and has high drive,” he says. “He’s often bouncing about in the back of the van - it’s a bit of a mess at the end of each shift, with him being quite excited.”
Constable Matt McLay and Ulfi are Whanganui-based. “I’ve always wanted to join Dog Section,” says Matt.
The only southern team was Constable Blake Buttar-Scurr and Whetu, who will be based in Invercargill. Like Matt, Blake has always wanted to be a handler.
“Ever since I joined, this was a career goal for me,” he says. “Dog handlers always seemed like go-getters and often lead from the front.
"I enjoy working on the street and working with dogs, so it’s a perfect fit for me.”
Speakers acknowledged the longstanding partnership between Police and Customs.
Inspector Todd Southall, National Coordinator Police Dogs, congratulated all the handlers on their success and wished them the best of luck.
“We acknowledge the longstanding relationship between Customs and Police, with our agencies working closely together to establish and support detector dog capabilities and we are very pleased to support them,” said Todd.
“I’d also like to shout-out to our team of trainers and other staff at the DTC. We have a fantastic team of people here and it’s great to have so many people dedicated to the success of these dog teams.”
Customs Group Manager Intelligence, Investigations and Enforcement, Terry Brown also acknowledged the longstanding cooperation between Customs and Police.
“Detector dog teams have a vital role in keeping New Zealand’s borders safe and protecting our communities by helping in the fight against transnational and serious organised crime,” he said
Our newly graduated patrol dogs, from left: Hawke, Marley, Whetu and Ulfi.