The Dog Squad by Vikki Petraitis

Author:Vikki Petraitis
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781743485194
Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia
Published: 2015-04-23T04:00:00+00:00

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In March 2010 drag races scheduled at Calder Park Raceway were cancelled. Protestors vented their rage at the Oakleigh store of the race sponsor, Bob Jane. The first hint that Matt got of the rising trouble was a report over the police radio that some youths had gathered at the corner of Warrigal Road and the Princes Highway and were causing some problems. And then a call came over the canine channel: things were getting out of hand.

Matt spoke to the sergeant, who reported that the crowd had swelled to around 3000 people. Matt could hardly believe that a riot could occur in the suburb best known for the sprawling Chadstone Shopping Centre. Just in case, Matt called on a couple of other handlers to make their way to the scene.

It was early in the evening when Matt got there, and it turned out the sergeant wasn’t exaggerating. There were even families with their children in the group; perhaps they had come to watch, but had gotten caught up in what was fast becoming a full-blown riot.

It was Matt’s experience that the biggest danger in such situ­ations occurred once the rioters started getting organised. While the police had formed a perimeter around the protestors, they hadn’t moved in. There are a couple of schools of thought in such situ­ations: either let the protestors protest and see how things play out, or come in with a strong police presence and confront the crowd. Early in the protest it seemed to Matt that the police on the scene had taken the ‘softly softly’ approach, but it hadn’t worked. Up ahead, a thuggish element of the crowd had started rolling cars and smashing windows. Once the riot got underway, the thugs didn’t just focus on the Bob Jane store – adjoining businesses were targeted too.

This is crazy! thought Matt. People were running up to the police, screaming that hoons were looting stores and rolling cars. Matt and the other handlers took in the mayhem, then approached veteran Dog Squad member Steve Evans for advice. Steve had worked at more critical incidents than Matt had eaten hot dinners. ‘So, what do you reckon?’ Matt asked.

Steve suggested a formation of dogs to advance on the crowd. While the amped-up thugs might play hero and take on advancing cops in riot gear, no one would take on the dogs. Matt bowed to Steve’s greater experience in such occasions, and all the handlers lined up, ready to face the thousands of rioters.

As the five handlers spread out in a line, they formed a powerful image: big men in dark overalls and heavy boots, helmets on, batons raised, and flanked by powerful police dogs. The dogs picked up the atmosphere; they barked ferociously and pulled on their leads. The five dog handler teams lined up across the incoming lanes of the Princes Highway.

As they advanced, the handlers began yelling, ‘Move! Move!’ in booming voices. Nat helped by letting out his best baritone rumble – chest out, front legs off the ground, pulling enthusiastically forward.

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