In Dad's boots

The last in our series but the first of Police's dog section parent-and-child combos - Ross and Andrew Clarke. 

When Senior Constable Ross Clarke retired last year after more than 49 years in Police, he left more than memories in dog section and the wider organisation.

Two of his three children are in Police. Andrew has followed his father’s track into Auckland’s dog section and Jessica is a detective in Counties Manukau.

When Andrew graduated as a dog handler in 2016, it was the first time New Zealand Police had seen a father and son working together as operational dog handlers.

“We were a bit of a novelty for at least four years,” says Ross.

“I was working German Shepherd detector dog, Kadee - one of the first operational drug detector dogs.

“At the same time Andrew began his career with a brand new patrol dog called Lee. We were both working front line in Tāmaki Makaurau.”

Andrew teamed up with his current dog Vulcan to undergo AOS training. He now has a puppy in training as Vulcan is nearing retirement.

“I didn’t have a lot of input into what Andrew did and how he chose his career path,” says Ross.

“I was pretty hands-off but he chose the dog section himself. He’s turned out to be a good thief-catcher, if you ask me.

“He would always text me if I was working. I would send him a text and ask him how he did if it was a track or dog-related incident.”

It was Ross’ childhood ambition to join Police, inspired by “a local old sergeant” who gave him a good talking-to after some youthful misdemeanour. “Even today we talk about first impressions.”

He became a cadet at Trentham straight from school and graduated 19 months later. On the front line he worked regularly alongside dog units and liked what he saw.

He was given his first puppy – Nasa – in 1980 and they soon became an operational team in Auckland.

"There was no such thing as dog handlers fostering dogs back then," he says. "The public did it for us - instead we were given them to use and work and get up to speed."

He swapped patrol dogs for detector dogs after seriously injuring his back in a fall on a night-time AOS job.

In 2013 he and his dog Archie took part in a trial of cash detection dogs. Together they seized more than $350,000 in five months.

In 2017, Ross and black Labrador Kea won the Explosives Detector Dog competition in the National Police Patrol and Detector Dog Championships. He was back at the nationals in 2019 with Kadee – his final dog - in the Narcotics detection competition.

“I was chuffed when both my kids followed me into Police - but when they hop into your boots [Andrew joining dog section] that’s pretty special.

“If I was going to work where they were working… I would look out for them. It was good seeing Andrew with his AOS gear on, and Jess also, working as a detective.”

Andrew and Jessica remember Ross as “a real old school cop” and a great dad.

After they joined Police, Ross would sleep with a Police radio beside his bed so he could make sure they were OK. Sometimes he would work with one or the other, at other times he’d just turn up.

“Once he turned up, put on a glow coat and just started directing traffic,” says Andrew.

“But it wasn’t just me – he would always go to back people up. He was always going and getting involved, and then would take off if he wasn’t needed. He was very proactive and always out there.”

Ross and his former champion Kea are still a team, enjoying their retirement together. "He's a personable dog - no guard dog but a lovely dog to retire with for sure," says Ross. 

Jessica says she and Andrew were always incredibly proud of Ross when they were growing up – “and even more so with him having served 49 years in the Police,” says Jessica.

The pride is mutual. “It was always nice to hear them on the radio and keep an ear out,” says Ross. “I’m proud of them.”

Andrew, Ross and Jessica Clarke.