On Patrol - Episode 6 K-9 Unit
#OnPatrol takes you inside the TTPS Canine Unit for insight into how the TTPS dogs are trained to BITE into crime
Transcript
00:00 (upbeat music)
00:02 - Good evening.
00:05 Welcome to the show, Eid Mubarak to all.
00:08 I'm Robert Dumas.
00:09 We're not live tonight because of the holiday,
00:11 so we're not going to be able to take your calls,
00:13 but we do have a great show for you tonight.
00:16 Last week, we were in St. James with the Mounted Branch.
00:19 This week, we're in Komuto,
00:20 where the K9 unit is headquartered.
00:23 We were given a first-hand look
00:24 at the training regimen of the K9 unit,
00:27 the officers on four legs
00:28 who go where their two-legged colleagues can't.
00:31 (men shouting)
00:33 (upbeat music)
00:36 The Komuto barracks is the home of the now disbanded,
00:43 very controversial, special anti-crime unit.
00:46 We found out training was as hands-on
00:48 as you could possibly get.
00:50 They've built entire replicas of a bar or even a home
00:53 to provide the most realistic scenarios for the dogs.
00:56 So first up, we went searching for explosives.
00:59 (dramatic music)
01:01 Sit.
01:12 (dramatic music)
01:15 (dog whining)
01:22 Where?
01:22 What we have now is RICO,
01:25 unexplosive detection K9 target of this handler,
01:27 DC Romeo.
01:30 There's a report of an explosive device somewhere
01:33 in this vicinity.
01:36 Hopefully the dog will detect.
01:40 Where?
01:41 Where?
01:43 So this is something that happens
01:47 prior to the dog entering the facility.
01:51 Yes.
01:51 This is a threat level.
01:53 Normally we have routines,
01:54 like executive,
01:56 where there's a visit from a foreign dignitary,
01:59 our local dignitaries.
02:00 Any major event, like for carnival,
02:02 we will have some of the venues,
02:04 like for Martial Monday,
02:05 these dogs would have been at the stadium,
02:07 make sure everyone is safe.
02:09 But these are just the routine searches.
02:11 Sometimes you get a bomb threat.
02:13 This is a demonstration of one of those threats
02:16 where you see the handler must clear his area,
02:19 working forward first,
02:20 before he can even enter the building.
02:22 (dramatic music)
02:25 You see the handler for safety.
02:30 The handler would not enter with the dog.
02:32 (dramatic music)
02:51 Okay, so as we see now,
02:53 the dog is inside on his own.
02:58 (dramatic music)
03:00 What the dog is actually looking for
03:03 is scent particles that may come in
03:05 from if there's anything inside here.
03:08 The handler has the view of the dog at all times.
03:14 Right, so when the dog pants,
03:19 what is that, an indication of?
03:20 No, he is going, but when he's,
03:22 yes, don't hear him panting,
03:24 he's in deep sniff,
03:25 he may have gotten the scent of something.
03:28 And if you look now,
03:29 you will see that the dog is sitting by a chair.
03:32 - Right.
03:33 - This is an indication of,
03:36 of the dog may have gone onto something.
03:40 (dramatic music)
03:42 Now, for the confirmation,
03:44 normally before, we used to throw the reward to the dog,
03:48 but because of changes in how
03:51 explosive training is done,
03:54 the dog comes back to the handler
03:58 where he is rewarded.
03:59 The dog has indicated the presence
04:04 of some type of explosive device.
04:07 At this point in time,
04:10 when the handler goes back out with the dog,
04:12 he will tell the bomb technician
04:13 who job it is,
04:15 will be to come in and either defuse
04:18 or disrupt this device.
04:19 - So when the dog actually enters the premises,
04:21 we discussed that the dog's an officer and is numbered.
04:23 - Yes.
04:24 - So is it at that point,
04:25 if it's considered an officer,
04:26 it's just a case of one is more expendable than the other?
04:29 - Unfortunately, Robert, yes.
04:31 I mean, depending on the human nature,
04:33 the dogs, everybody loves the dogs.
04:36 They are close to us,
04:37 but at the end of the day,
04:39 unfortunately, they are expendable.
04:41 - So is there a plan to get robotics in place at some point
04:44 to avoid any sort of officer being harmed?
04:47 - Well, even with the robotics,
04:49 it's still the dog to detect us away.
04:51 Sometimes if there's a robot,
04:52 the robot can come in and detect and carry out this device.
04:57 - Superintendent Hospitalis,
04:59 how important and instrumental are these canine officers
05:03 to overall crime in Trinidad and Tobago?
05:08 - They spear a very specific role,
05:11 a very special role in fighting crime.
05:14 The canine officer, who we also call handlers,
05:18 they work hand in hand with a specific canine.
05:21 They train the canine and they have to work with that canine.
05:24 The canine will follow the instructions of the handler.
05:28 (dramatic music)
05:31 (dramatic music)
05:34 (dramatic music)
05:36 (dramatic music)
05:39 (dramatic music)
05:42 (dramatic music)
05:45 (dramatic music)
05:47 - Last year, these canines would have recovered
05:49 over $7 million in narcotics in Trinidad and Tobago.
05:54 Over the years, some years it will be more, some less.
05:58 Last year, they also recovered 54 firearms.
06:01 This year, we are already over that $7 million figure.
06:04 And we only in May.
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06:40 (dramatic music)
06:42 (dramatic music)
07:07 (dramatic music)
07:09 (dramatic music)
07:35 (dramatic music)
07:37 (dramatic music)
08:03 (dramatic music)
08:06 (dramatic music)
08:26 (dramatic music)
08:29 - That's where you're getting sent here
08:45 according to what it is.
08:46 So, e-send, strongest-send is by-order.
08:49 That gives out a big mass, a big send picture.
08:52 Co-quick, cocaine, sorry,
08:54 gives out a smaller send picture.
08:56 Fire, ammunition, same thing, right?
08:59 So, when you put your mind on it,
09:00 I said, put me 18 all over inside.
09:02 You'll smell, smell, smell,
09:04 and he will look for the strongest send, right?
09:07 And as I said, you have a bit of function up there,
09:10 so you'll see him jump up here.
09:12 You'll walk in here and he'll have his feet on the floor.
09:14 And you'll freeze up right here.
09:15 So you know, inside this cupboard,
09:17 he said the odor is high.
09:20 If he comes in and he freezes up here,
09:22 you know in this cupboard, the send is low.
09:24 So, let's say it has marijuana and cocaine in it.
09:27 So, the marijuana is in this shelf.
09:29 The cocaine is in this shelf.
09:31 Marijuana and send would overwhelm the cocaine send,
09:35 so you'd go out the send freeze.
09:37 We always advise our handlers,
09:40 once the task force officers find the blue file,
09:43 and they tell them where to find and they locate,
09:45 they take it out and have it send the door in again.
09:50 Because it was proven in the past,
09:51 many handlers would have sent back the door,
09:54 and it would have found something else.
09:55 Now, these dogs can find everything
09:57 from drugs to guns to people.
09:58 We presented two scenarios.
10:00 First, there was a firearm hidden somewhere in the house.
10:03 Then we presented a scenario
10:04 where someone was hiding in the house.
10:06 (intense music)
10:09 (speaking in foreign language)
10:21 (dog barking)
10:24 (shouting)
10:36 (shouting)
10:38 (dog barking)
10:59 (intense music)
11:02 - How responsive are persons when they see the dogs
11:22 to obeying the command of the officer
11:26 in terms of to say stop, wear the drugs?
11:29 Are they afraid to see what the dog might then do?
11:34 - It depends on the individuals.
11:35 Some will easily stop and respond
11:40 to whatever instructions they may be getting.
11:41 There are others who will try to run away,
11:43 who will try to hide stuff
11:47 at places where they believe the dogs will not find.
11:51 The dogs will still find it.
11:53 (intense music)
11:57 (intense music)
11:59 (intense music)
12:02 (intense music)
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12:13 (intense music)
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12:44 (upbeat music)
12:46 - We've seen demonstrations where the K9 officers
12:52 discover firearms, narcotics and even explosives.
12:55 So we're gonna put this to the test.
12:57 Now I'm wearing a glove because the first thing
12:59 the dog is gonna pick up is human scent
13:00 and well, any sort of smells or anything
13:03 with regards to that.
13:04 So this is a pack of narcotics.
13:08 Most of it is decriminalized right now.
13:10 So I'm gonna hide it in one of these cars
13:12 and we're gonna put RC to the test.
13:15 So there are a number of cars here.
13:19 One, two, three, four, five, six, seven couple cars.
13:22 So RC is not a way of what car I'm gonna put it in of course.
13:27 So we're gonna sneak it into one of these long time drag cars
13:32 and put it into the gas tank.
13:34 Now I would think that with the smell of the fuel
13:37 and so on, it would put RC off,
13:40 but this is a true test.
13:42 So this is a bag of narcotics.
13:45 Stick that in there.
13:48 Close it up.
13:52 Making sure I'm not touching with this hand at all
13:55 so that there's no human scent,
13:56 there's no DNA from me at all on this gas tank.
13:59 So let's put RC to the test now
14:01 and see whether or not these K9 officers are true to form.
14:06 (upbeat music)
14:09 (upbeat music)
14:13 (upbeat music)
14:16 (upbeat music)
14:19 (upbeat music)
14:21 (upbeat music)
14:24 (upbeat music)
14:35 - Stop.
14:46 Stop.
14:47 (upbeat music)
14:50 (upbeat music)
14:53 - Oh, so, yeah.
14:54 So because through that glove,
14:56 I think when I was sweating,
14:59 I changed hands with marijuana.
15:01 So there's still a marijuana scent to me.
15:03 So RC's picking that up.
15:05 So I think what I need to do,
15:06 I need to move clearly, okay.
15:09 (upbeat music)
15:11 (upbeat music)
15:14 (upbeat music)
15:16 (indistinct)
15:19 (indistinct)
15:21 - Good boy.
15:22 (laughing)
15:23 Good boy.
15:24 Good boy.
15:25 Good boy.
15:26 That's my baby.
15:28 Good job, baby.
15:28 - So RC's done a good job.
15:31 - Yes, he did.
15:32 - Good job.
15:33 (hand slapping)
15:35 (upbeat music)
15:38 - RC's done a good job
15:39 and of course he's from marijuana.
15:40 I'm not gonna touch that again.
15:42 (hand slapping)
15:45 - Now we've seen how well these dogs can find contraband.
15:48 But what are you most afraid of when you see a dog?
15:51 Is it their nose?
15:52 No.
15:53 Their bite?
15:54 More than likely their teeth, their size, their build.
15:57 - Hey officer, morning, morning, morning.
16:00 How things man?
16:01 See you and your dog making a thing?
16:03 Nice, nice.
16:04 Everything good?
16:04 - Yeah.
16:05 - Right, right.
16:06 I just taking her past you there.
16:07 - All right.
16:08 - All right, stay up, stay up.
16:09 Yeah man.
16:09 - Notice something catches the eye of the officer.
16:11 - What is that?
16:12 - That arouse the suspicion of the officer.
16:14 - No, no, it good, it good.
16:15 I have nothing here.
16:16 I have nothing here.
16:17 Big man, big man, don't touch me.
16:19 Big man, don't touch me.
16:20 Big man, don't touch me.
16:20 Don't touch me, man.
16:21 - Notice without command,
16:23 the dog will defend his handler.
16:25 The tactical dogs,
16:26 without command will defend and they will bite.
16:29 Same explosive canine you all saw before.
16:36 This is the tactical aspect of them.
16:38 So he has the bite capability.
16:39 Notice the other dog, Tony,
16:43 away from the handler,
16:45 does not move at all.
16:46 This is a part I really wanted to do.
16:48 I mean, I was really excited about it
16:50 coming to the canine unit,
16:52 but actually when I actually saw a demonstration
16:55 between the dog actually going after a perpetrator,
16:59 I pumped out a little bit.
17:01 But then, you know, from the time they showed me
17:04 what I needed to do, put on the arm shield,
17:06 I'm realizing the arm shield was pretty solid.
17:09 I got a little bit more brave for lack of a better term.
17:12 (dramatic music)
17:15 - Stop him.
17:24 - Atta boy, atta boy, atta boy.
17:28 Atta boy.
17:33 - Raise up, raise up.
17:36 - That's a good boy.
17:36 - Stand up, stand up.
17:37 - Atta boy.
17:38 Hold him.
17:39 Hold him.
17:43 Hold him.
17:44 Atta boy, hold him.
17:46 Stop moving.
17:47 Stop what you're doing.
17:48 Out.
17:50 No, out.
17:51 No, out.
17:52 Out, no.
17:55 Out, out.
17:57 No.
18:00 - Stop pulling him back.
18:01 - Out.
18:02 No, out.
18:04 Leave, leave.
18:06 - How you feel?
18:12 - To actually be on the other end of the, you know,
18:16 seeing one of these animals charging at you
18:18 was something that I was excited,
18:19 but at the same time, I'd admit it.
18:21 I was petrified.
18:22 I was scared.
18:23 You know, it's good dog, lay, sit,
18:26 do all of these things at one point.
18:28 But when that command comes and you see that dog,
18:31 eyes rolled back, turning red, charging at you,
18:35 rows of teeth.
18:36 - Atta boy.
18:38 - It's a whole other experience.
18:39 - Hold him.
18:40 - I'm not going to let you take any dog.
18:42 Out.
18:43 No, out.
18:44 Good.
18:44 (panting)
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19:23 (dramatic music)
19:26 - Thank you for staying with us, Eid Mubarak.
19:31 I'm Robert Dumas, this is On Patrol.
19:34 As promised, we're continuing our discussion
19:36 on the four-legged officers of the TTPS.
19:39 Once again, we are joined by Commander Sheldon Edgell
19:42 and Superintendent Hospitalis
19:44 and two special guests from the K9 unit.
19:46 Gentlemen, good evening.
19:48 - Good evening, Robert.
19:50 - The K9 officers, they're very obedient,
19:53 they're amazing creatures.
19:56 I've witnessed the aggression firsthand.
19:58 In terms of the contribution the K9 officers make
20:03 to the TTPS, some might say they're even more valuable
20:06 to the, shall we say for lack of a better term,
20:10 human officers in terms of their contribution to crime.
20:13 - Well, that has a lot to do with the skill sets
20:16 of the K9s.
20:18 Our K9s do narcotic recovery, firearm recovery.
20:22 They do tracking, tactical work, and explosive recovery.
20:26 The human would not detect some of these things by scent.
20:33 The K9s actually detect it by scent.
20:35 And it is almost impossible to hide that scent from a K9.
20:41 - You mentioned, we were talking about the value
20:43 of these particular dogs.
20:44 Seven million last year recovered in narcotics
20:48 and illegal firearms.
20:49 This year alone, we've almost passed that number.
20:52 Were they with?
20:54 - They are, they are.
20:55 And the commissioner will always tell you
20:58 that whenever he goes to England,
20:59 there's a particular beagle that sorts him out
21:03 when he's in England and sniffs around him.
21:05 And that is one of the things the commissioner
21:06 wants to include.
21:07 So in the future, for the K9 unit,
21:10 we're also looking at putting dogs up at the airport.
21:13 Not only in the back where they search the luggage,
21:14 but also in front.
21:15 So people come in to go away.
21:18 They're departing passengers.
21:20 The dogs will be there to sniff them
21:22 before they get on the flight.
21:23 Sniff them when they arrive, sniff the baggage
21:25 when they're lining up and so on.
21:27 And we're hoping that we would discourage people
21:29 traveling with narcotics.
21:31 And as you may know, that is a big issue
21:33 when airports are--
21:34 - Why don't you travel with narcotics?
21:36 - Well, I don't know, do you?
21:37 - No.
21:38 - I'll ask the dogs to check.
21:41 But it's a thing when they do for international retail
21:43 at airports and so on.
21:45 And we have to make sure that our security
21:47 in the airports are up to scratch.
21:50 And that is what the commissioner is hoping that we get to.
21:53 - So what sort of service time do you get out of the dogs?
21:55 And what happens to the dogs
21:57 when they seemingly have to retire?
21:59 - We can get, depending on the dog,
22:02 'cause we usually purchase dogs
22:05 around the age between three and five years old.
22:08 If you can get a dog earlier, closer to one, two years,
22:11 it is better for us to prepare that dog,
22:14 to train that dog.
22:16 Once trained, you can get anywhere between
22:19 five, 15, 20 years from the dog, depending on the dog.
22:23 Once that dog has to retire, what we do,
22:26 we usually do, we offer that dog to the handler
22:30 so that the handler can adopt the dog.
22:32 'Cause this dog would have worked
22:34 with that particular handler for years.
22:36 So they have built a bond.
22:38 To give the canine to another person
22:42 can have a negative effect.
22:43 So you offer first the handler,
22:45 and in most instances, the handler will take the dog.
22:48 They officially adopt the dog.
22:51 - The canine officers have a number.
22:53 I also understand that to harm a canine officer
22:59 is equivalent to harming a police officer.
23:01 - Yes.
23:02 - What sort of protection is given to the dogs
23:05 once they're deployed?
23:06 - When our canines are deployed with the handlers,
23:10 most times the handler and the dog,
23:12 they are focused on what they are doing.
23:14 Especially when we're looking at narcotics and firearms.
23:16 So we have additional officers to provide cover.
23:20 Because the officer, handler,
23:23 dealing with the dog cannot focus elsewhere.
23:25 He has to focus and control the dog
23:27 with what he wants the dog to do.
23:29 So we usually have other officers provide them with the cover
23:32 so that they will be safe doing what they're supposed to.
23:34 - Have you ever lost any dogs in the field?
23:37 Not just within your eight months,
23:38 in terms of the history of the canine unit.
23:41 - I believe one.
23:43 I believe we have lost one.
23:44 In the past, I don't have any information on it,
23:47 but from my information, we have lost one.
23:49 - Are there any plans to breed some of these dogs
23:52 so that we continue to maintain the pedigree?
23:56 - Yes, actually, Rob, what we do,
23:58 what we have done in the past is dogs were brought in from away.
24:01 They were very expensive and costly to bring in and ship.
24:06 But I think Commissioner has directed Mr. Hospitalist
24:09 to look at options.
24:10 I think we have two options we look at,
24:12 whether we breed internally,
24:14 as well as we look at purchasing from the local kennels.
24:19 - So if we can bring Rico on the set.
24:21 Thank you for staying with us.
24:25 I'm Robert Dumas.
24:26 This is On Patrol, Constable Romeo
24:28 and his canine officer, Dog Rico.
24:31 Constable.
24:33 - Thanks for having us.
24:37 - Yes, this is our canine, Rico.
24:39 And that's why you need to be entertained.
24:41 Here you go, sit.
24:43 In.
24:44 Stay.
24:45 (dog whining)
24:58 (dog barking)
25:00 (upbeat music)
25:03 (dog whining)
25:05 (upbeat music)
25:08 Stay.
25:09 Stay.
25:10 Oh, that's a good boy.
25:14 Well, that's our show tonight.
25:15 Thanks to officers, Edgell and Hospitalist
25:17 for joining us again.
25:18 And a special thank you to Rico and Constable Romeo.
25:22 The On Patrol team has gotten very close
25:24 with the mounted and canine branch over the last two weeks.
25:27 We've seen the horses.
25:28 Now we're seeing just how valuable the dogs are.
25:31 These four-legged officers keep us safe every day
25:34 when they're on patrol.
25:36 I'm Robert Dumas.
25:37 See you next week.
25:38 (upbeat music)
25:40 (upbeat music)
25:43 (upbeat music)