1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,080 Speaker 1: Well, a bit of a change of pace because I'm 2 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:05,279 Speaker 1: pleased to say that I've got some very special guests 3 00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:08,320 Speaker 1: in the studio. I am, of course joined by Senior 4 00:00:08,400 --> 00:00:11,520 Speaker 1: Sargent Meacham King with the Northern Territory Police. Good morning 5 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:13,840 Speaker 1: to him, Meet cham Yeah, good, good to have you 6 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:17,240 Speaker 1: in the studio, and of course Senior Constable first Class 7 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:22,200 Speaker 1: Matthew Aunwin, good morning to you. Now. I'm also holding 8 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:25,799 Speaker 1: what is potentially the cutest puppy ever, and that is 9 00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:31,240 Speaker 1: little patrol dog puppy Atlas. And we've also got over 10 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:36,640 Speaker 1: their patrol dog Kuta. Now before we start talking about 11 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:39,199 Speaker 1: the puppies and or about the dogs and the wonderful 12 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:41,560 Speaker 1: work that we're doing, look at Atlas. He's a specimen 13 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:43,440 Speaker 1: of a dog. We're gonna have to get a photo 14 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:45,560 Speaker 1: of him. His hear is a perked up. I wish 15 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:47,640 Speaker 1: the listeners, I wish it was you know, that they 16 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:50,960 Speaker 1: could see what was going on. He's excited to do 17 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:54,640 Speaker 1: the show. Now now it will talk about the dogs 18 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:58,000 Speaker 1: in a moment. But Meacham, I understand that there was 19 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:01,400 Speaker 1: an incident over nine what happened in Catherine. 20 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:03,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, so we've got some of our amount of members 21 00:01:03,440 --> 00:01:06,240 Speaker 2: working down in Catherine with operation obviously just any social 22 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:10,520 Speaker 2: behaviors patrols, and about seven o'clock last night or just 23 00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:12,679 Speaker 2: after they were doing a foot patrol and they sided 24 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:14,280 Speaker 2: a couple of drinkers were yelling out to him. They've 25 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:15,959 Speaker 2: approached him and spoken to him and told them they 26 00:01:15,959 --> 00:01:19,759 Speaker 2: need to tip their alcohol out. The matter has become confrontational. 27 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:22,760 Speaker 2: He's tipped the alcohol out, he's walked off, he's come 28 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:25,480 Speaker 2: back good aggressive. As a result that aggresses, They've gone 29 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:27,680 Speaker 2: to apprehend him and as a result of the apprehension, 30 00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:30,080 Speaker 2: one of the members was punched several times to face. 31 00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:32,480 Speaker 2: The other members hit as well well, not sigigantly, but 32 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:35,960 Speaker 2: he was apprehended safely, and then we had a couple 33 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:38,320 Speaker 2: of the groups start throwing bottles and other projectiles at 34 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:40,479 Speaker 2: the members. They've called for assistance another police have come 35 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:42,759 Speaker 2: and resolved it. But as a result of that member 36 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:45,240 Speaker 2: being punched, he's got a fratched eye socket, so he's 37 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:47,680 Speaker 2: going to be out of action for a while now. 38 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:50,360 Speaker 2: And it's just a common occurrence, unfortunately with a slide 39 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:52,520 Speaker 2: on police, and it's one of those things that it 40 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:55,400 Speaker 2: does come with a job, but it is unacceptable. It's 41 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:57,800 Speaker 2: not only just a fact of the member himself and 42 00:01:57,880 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 2: the loss of capability to the community, but the effects 43 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:04,400 Speaker 2: on him family being off work. Yeah, it's pretty tragic. 44 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:07,240 Speaker 2: He's a very experienced officer and we've we've been talking 45 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 2: to him this morning and he's he's good spirits. Yeah, 46 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:12,360 Speaker 2: he's in good spirits. But obviously he's got specials appoints 47 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:15,720 Speaker 2: next week to really identify the damage and the long 48 00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:17,919 Speaker 2: way of recovery. And obviously we're pretty close unit. The 49 00:02:17,919 --> 00:02:19,880 Speaker 2: amount of unibles support him as well the rest of 50 00:02:19,919 --> 00:02:23,800 Speaker 2: the police force. But it's just it's just, I wouldn't 51 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:26,360 Speaker 2: say distressing, but it makes us quite frustrated. There's an 52 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:28,840 Speaker 2: easy opportunity to tip the alcohol out. No, it's quite 53 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:32,080 Speaker 2: well known, don't drink in public and to be polite. 54 00:02:32,600 --> 00:02:37,880 Speaker 2: They've chosen to basically continue drinking. They've chosen to not 55 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 2: obey police instructures that they've chosen become aggressive and be confrontational. 56 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:44,760 Speaker 2: This could have been resulted very simple, but these individuals 57 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:47,840 Speaker 2: have taken a conscious decision to be combative and as 58 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 2: a result it's ended up in the water. 59 00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:53,040 Speaker 1: To take it a step way too far, it's unnecessary yeah, 60 00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:57,400 Speaker 1: so mechum, just to repeat that. So this police officer 61 00:02:57,440 --> 00:03:00,720 Speaker 1: has now ended up with a fractured eye, socker strrect. Yes, 62 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:03,280 Speaker 1: that's appalling. It's actually a paul. 63 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:06,800 Speaker 2: It's a significant injury. Yeah, and it's just you know, 64 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:09,720 Speaker 2: it's one thing to get injured and a wrestle and apprehension, 65 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:12,600 Speaker 2: we understand that. But he's when they've taken him to 66 00:03:12,639 --> 00:03:15,480 Speaker 2: the ground. His partner has done a fantastic job jumping 67 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:17,520 Speaker 2: and helping out as well. She's grabbed onto him and 68 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:20,200 Speaker 2: makes you control it. And unfortunately he just got a 69 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:22,720 Speaker 2: couple of hits. And the guy's a significant size, he's 70 00:03:22,760 --> 00:03:26,040 Speaker 2: a big boy, and well what it is, and it's 71 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:28,520 Speaker 2: unfortunately it's a great word there, Timmy out between forty 72 00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:30,359 Speaker 2: and six the leaders a day down there with their work, 73 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:34,800 Speaker 2: significant contribution to the operation, and unfortunately we've had to 74 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:35,560 Speaker 2: holt that while. 75 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:39,000 Speaker 1: The back well, look, I'm thinking of that officer and 76 00:03:39,040 --> 00:03:41,320 Speaker 1: the officers involved, and I hope that he makes a 77 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:43,880 Speaker 1: full recovery. I hope that he's okay. Now I can 78 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:46,520 Speaker 1: tell that Cooter is also not happy about what's happened, 79 00:03:47,320 --> 00:03:51,240 Speaker 1: and and you know he's over there making a bit 80 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:54,360 Speaker 1: of noise. He's waiting for his chance to have a chat. Look, 81 00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 1: I do want to have a talk about the police dogs. 82 00:03:57,200 --> 00:04:01,040 Speaker 1: We've got a little little Atlas here. It's to imagine 83 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:05,320 Speaker 1: that this gorgeous dog is going to this tiny little 84 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:10,119 Speaker 1: dog is going to be become a patrol dog that's 85 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:13,080 Speaker 1: going to be apprehending people. How does it all work? 86 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 1: Talk us through the training. 87 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:17,800 Speaker 3: We've got to start somewhere, Katie, So, Atlas is nine 88 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:20,360 Speaker 3: weeks old. He's come across from a kennel that bred 89 00:04:20,440 --> 00:04:24,120 Speaker 3: him in Western Australia, and as he grows, always will 90 00:04:24,120 --> 00:04:27,680 Speaker 3: start training from the day he hits the ground. Most 91 00:04:27,680 --> 00:04:33,120 Speaker 3: of our initial training is environmental and social interactions as 92 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:36,120 Speaker 3: well as we start tracking straight up and then all 93 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:40,719 Speaker 3: their obedience pretty early. But yeah, as they grow. As 94 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:43,600 Speaker 3: you might remember, Kuda was only a little puppy in 95 00:04:43,640 --> 00:04:48,760 Speaker 3: Atlas's position thirteen months ago. So and he's almost a 96 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:50,080 Speaker 3: fully grown dog now. 97 00:04:50,240 --> 00:04:52,359 Speaker 1: Well, and talk me through as good and now in 98 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:56,120 Speaker 1: a situation where he's working, he's out there, you know, 99 00:04:56,160 --> 00:05:00,880 Speaker 1: within that thirteen month period on the ground helping you 100 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:02,119 Speaker 1: guys to apprehend people. 101 00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:05,480 Speaker 3: No, kurtas he's only thirteen months old, so he's still 102 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:10,440 Speaker 3: in training. He'll go on his intermediate course later on 103 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:14,080 Speaker 3: in the year. And yeah, probably. 104 00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:16,520 Speaker 1: He's trying to go. He's listened to it. He wants 105 00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:17,200 Speaker 1: to get out. 106 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:22,240 Speaker 3: Thereading out, the shredding up Atlas as dummy as we speak. 107 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:23,440 Speaker 3: That keeps him quiet. 108 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:26,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, now talk me through them. What kind of training 109 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:29,440 Speaker 1: Atlas is really going to be, you know, getting into 110 00:05:30,120 --> 00:05:31,440 Speaker 1: over the coming weeks. 111 00:05:31,640 --> 00:05:35,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, So we start like with a foundation of like imprinting, 112 00:05:36,080 --> 00:05:40,240 Speaker 3: obedience and what we call markers, the capturing behaviors and 113 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:47,920 Speaker 3: tracking initially, but there's an important key environmental and socialization 114 00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:52,360 Speaker 3: period between six weeks and sixteen weeks. So mostly what 115 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:55,680 Speaker 3: Atlas will be doing is being exposed to as many 116 00:05:55,760 --> 00:05:59,320 Speaker 3: situations as we can. This put him in exactly like this, 117 00:05:59,440 --> 00:06:03,479 Speaker 3: so that when he becomes operational, anything that he encounters 118 00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:05,960 Speaker 3: won't be the first time that he encounters it, and 119 00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:10,840 Speaker 3: it'll be a matter of yeah, he's already experienced it 120 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:13,159 Speaker 3: and we know how he's going to react in those situations. 121 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:17,240 Speaker 1: Now, how big is the is the unit now the 122 00:06:17,279 --> 00:06:19,560 Speaker 1: canine unit with the Northern Territory Police. 123 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:22,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, the numbers haven't changed, Katie. We've recently swapt one 124 00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:24,239 Speaker 2: of the drug dog hammers to patrol dog and Duness. 125 00:06:24,279 --> 00:06:26,400 Speaker 2: Now we've got six patrol dog Hammerson, Dowin and three 126 00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:29,359 Speaker 2: and ours to total nine. So just we all we 127 00:06:29,440 --> 00:06:31,800 Speaker 2: had ten drug dog we wanted to balance out for 128 00:06:31,880 --> 00:06:34,200 Speaker 2: nine each. So having six and dog is this greater 129 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:37,320 Speaker 2: capability to move on and work on and carry on. 130 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:40,200 Speaker 2: Also helps with Axe and Jackson. Those drax Is two 131 00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:41,040 Speaker 2: pups there. 132 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:42,840 Speaker 3: They're just there, was don their final course. 133 00:06:42,839 --> 00:06:45,080 Speaker 2: Surely they'll be operation end of the year and and 134 00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:49,200 Speaker 2: so yeah, it's just ripping about to out to pieces. 135 00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:53,320 Speaker 2: But yeah, but yeah, it's good. It's it's it's we're busy. 136 00:06:53,360 --> 00:06:55,839 Speaker 2: We're doing lots of work and obviously we have those jobs. 137 00:06:55,839 --> 00:06:57,760 Speaker 2: You spoke to Dale earlier this week about some of 138 00:06:57,760 --> 00:07:01,680 Speaker 2: the jobs. That job two weeks that police cars around 139 00:07:01,720 --> 00:07:03,880 Speaker 2: that was actually matsk I didn't talk about that incident. 140 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:08,520 Speaker 3: So yeah, we're tracking a number of stolen cars. That night, 141 00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:14,320 Speaker 3: I think we ended up recovering five or six. But yeah, 142 00:07:14,400 --> 00:07:19,600 Speaker 3: during a single cab Hilax was taken from an addressing 143 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:23,840 Speaker 3: cooler linger and it ended up having ten occupants in it, 144 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:29,200 Speaker 3: and police were very mindful about how to apprehend the 145 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:32,760 Speaker 3: vehicle and the occupants of the vehicle, given that five 146 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:35,360 Speaker 3: of those occupants were actually sitting on the tray or 147 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:40,119 Speaker 3: standing on the tray yep, so it's obviously a risk 148 00:07:40,240 --> 00:07:43,880 Speaker 3: to them in any attempts that we make to apprehend them. 149 00:07:44,520 --> 00:07:48,119 Speaker 3: The vehicle tried to ram another police car as during 150 00:07:48,280 --> 00:07:52,520 Speaker 3: an attempted apprehension, and we also threw some projectiles at 151 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:55,800 Speaker 3: one of our other dog Inuit cars, and then it 152 00:07:55,880 --> 00:07:57,920 Speaker 3: drove through down a dead end road and then through 153 00:07:57,960 --> 00:08:03,000 Speaker 3: somebody's rural block in Humpty. We had the area pretty 154 00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:05,720 Speaker 3: well corded and we didn't see the vehicle leave the cordon, 155 00:08:05,880 --> 00:08:11,200 Speaker 3: so I went to investigate the area and saw a 156 00:08:11,520 --> 00:08:13,520 Speaker 3: red light which turned out to be the brake lights 157 00:08:13,560 --> 00:08:16,480 Speaker 3: of the vehicle. I've pulled over to investigate it, and 158 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:20,600 Speaker 3: then they've high beamed me with spotlights from about thirty 159 00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:24,440 Speaker 3: meters away and tried to t bone vehicle. 160 00:08:24,520 --> 00:08:28,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, oh my goodness, you're right, yeah yeah. 161 00:08:28,160 --> 00:08:32,240 Speaker 3: And dogs are all good. Managed to accelerate enough that 162 00:08:32,280 --> 00:08:34,240 Speaker 3: they didn't impact the side of my vehicle and it 163 00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:37,720 Speaker 3: ended up hitting just behind the rear passenger wheel, so 164 00:08:37,760 --> 00:08:41,720 Speaker 3: we got we got spun a little bit, ye possibly 165 00:08:41,760 --> 00:08:45,240 Speaker 3: that lesson the impact a little bit, yep, but yeah, 166 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:48,679 Speaker 3: still still disconcerting. And the driver that vehicle had to 167 00:08:48,800 --> 00:08:52,000 Speaker 3: actually be stopped by the occupants on the tray from 168 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:54,800 Speaker 3: coming back for an trying to impact my driver's. 169 00:08:54,440 --> 00:08:57,920 Speaker 2: Side the car it would have been. 170 00:08:58,559 --> 00:09:02,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, and it's a terrible situation and one which you know, 171 00:09:02,240 --> 00:09:04,320 Speaker 1: you would hope the police are not having to deal with, 172 00:09:04,440 --> 00:09:09,040 Speaker 1: but unfortunately a very real situation at the moment. Look, 173 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:13,920 Speaker 1: I always appreciate you guys coming into the studio and 174 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:16,959 Speaker 1: catching up with us. I always appreciate the update on 175 00:09:17,120 --> 00:09:21,360 Speaker 1: the on the canine unit. And look, you know, after 176 00:09:21,400 --> 00:09:24,280 Speaker 1: hearing what's happened to you obviously match over the last 177 00:09:24,320 --> 00:09:26,680 Speaker 1: couple of weeks, and then also hearing about what's happened 178 00:09:26,960 --> 00:09:30,320 Speaker 1: overnight with that terrible assault, no better time, you know, 179 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:33,800 Speaker 1: really for me to say, I just think it's appalling 180 00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:38,040 Speaker 1: people assaulting frontline workers. It should not be something that 181 00:09:38,080 --> 00:09:41,880 Speaker 1: you have to worry about. Unfortunately it is. But I 182 00:09:41,960 --> 00:09:45,960 Speaker 1: just think it's a woeful, woeful situation when you know 183 00:09:46,120 --> 00:09:49,160 Speaker 1: others are endangering the lives of people out there trying 184 00:09:49,200 --> 00:09:53,800 Speaker 1: to do their jobs. Yeah, look, we will leave it there, 185 00:09:54,040 --> 00:09:56,240 Speaker 1: thank you. So much for bringing the dogs in this morning. 186 00:09:56,280 --> 00:09:58,199 Speaker 1: I was trying not to laugh at one point because 187 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:02,360 Speaker 1: I could see Cooter and totally ripped up Atlas's you know, 188 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:05,439 Speaker 1: a little like little cloth plaything that he likes. You 189 00:10:05,480 --> 00:10:08,800 Speaker 1: can keep that, Yeah, I'll keep that. Atlas was breathing 190 00:10:08,840 --> 00:10:12,640 Speaker 1: into the microphone as well. So it's it's always fun 191 00:10:12,760 --> 00:10:15,800 Speaker 1: and eventful when the canine unit is in the studio. 192 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:18,000 Speaker 3: Trying to make as much chaos as we can for you. 193 00:10:18,440 --> 00:10:19,600 Speaker 3: I love it. I love it. 194 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:23,080 Speaker 1: Thank you, Senior Sergeant Meacham King and of course Senior 195 00:10:23,120 --> 00:10:27,760 Speaker 1: Constable first Class Matthew Unwin and patrol dog puppy Atlas 196 00:10:27,800 --> 00:10:30,560 Speaker 1: and Cooter. Wonderful to have you all in the studio 197 00:10:30,640 --> 00:10:31,520 Speaker 1: this morning. Thank you. 198 00:10:31,840 --> 00:10:32,040 Speaker 3: Thanks