Police dog handler Graham Reeves Bracey , 91, will be remembered for his professionalism, strong personality, AND love for his family. Graham was born on 12 December 1930 and died peacefully on 7 July 2022. July. Graham’s ashes were carried by son Paul Bracey, who was followed by family members through an honour guard made up of officers and dogs from the Auckland and Northland dog squads. The sound of barking dogs echoed around the Town Basin as they waited, not so patiently, in vans parked outside the venue. The canine cacophony seemed fitting for a man who was Auckland’s first dog handler, with his partner Duke. Graham joined Police in 1955 and he was given Duke to train in 1958. A year later they became operational. He retired in 1989 and was awarded the Queen’s Service Medal for public service. He not only educated his fellow police colleagues about the benefits of dogs, but the judiciary as well. By the time police arrived on the scene the criminal was long gone. Graham and Duke were dispatched and tracked through farmland and found the man hiding in a shed. However, when the case came to court the Magistrate questioned how the dog could find the man and could Police be sure the defendant was the man involved in the incident. Graham explained the dog’s training and ability to follow a scent, and confirmed it was the correct man standing in court. Duke was the only operational dog in Auckland for four years, so they were kept busy “He loved the dog section. He helped train the handlers and their dogs. “Graham pioneered the dog section and tolerated the hardships back in those days and the kind of complexities that were involved in transport and communications.
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