Police Dogs of Trinidad and Tobago: A 70-Year History

They are four-legged police officers sniffing their way through mountains, tropical forests, and urban jungles, and they operate in the southernmost Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago, just seven miles from Venezuela. Police dogs and their canine officers face dangers including drug dealers, thieves, kidnappers, and murderers by relying on their most important weapon: trust

This is an unprecedented look at crime from the police canine section’s perspective, with the bond between police officers and their dog partners at the heart of the story. Written by a journalist with a background in anthropology, this book is based on exclusive access to the police dogs’ secret files. It includes interviews with retired and working canine officers and spans 70 years, from the canine section’s inception in 1952 to 2022. Follow the dogs’ work during colonialism, independence, the Black Power movement, the rise of the illegal drug trade, and the age of terrorism. Fierce, feared, loyal and lovable, police dogs have compiled an impressive crimefighting record and a trail of remarkable stories.

Debbie Jacob is a journalist who lives in St. Ann’s, Trinidad. In 2019 she received an award from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Mounted and Canine Branch for her work with the nation’s police dogs. In 2020, she received a Chaconia Gold Medal from the government of Trinidad and Tobago for spheres of humanitarian work in prisons and the police service canine section.