Red Alert K-9 tactical unit reaction officer Dylan Impey, 23, and his partner, Koda, a highly trained Belgian malinois, express a bond that has seen them through peace and violence. Here they keep an eye on environmental protestors who are cleaning the beach at Fuller’s Bay near the Grand Prix recently. But Dylan says Koda, who is trained to attack, sniff out narcotics and track criminals, is not a pet. The public must keep a respectful distance. Koda, who is generally calm and placid, will lunge and bite if he feels threatened. “We spend most of our shifts together. He is my friend. Whatever I go through, he goes through. We see the same things. He has my back, I have his back. You can get no better partner. We are experienced and train a lot together.” Dylan is a local man, born, schooled at Grens and now working in East London. Picture and words: MIKE LOEWE
