K-9 Operation Means Big Drug Busts in Rexburg

If you’ve seen more police cars patroling the streets of Rexburg  in the last two weeks,  that’s because they’ve been cracking down on drug trafficking.

It’s the first time Rexburg Police have done this type of a bust and the operation has turned out much more successful than police hoped.

Yellow and black labs, ‘Truck’ and ‘Sammy’,  represent The Rexburg Police Department’s entire K-9 Unit.

“I run the dog around the outside of the car and look for any changes in behavior,” said K-9 Trainer, Ray Hermicello, as he takes Sammy through an exercise.

“Both our narcotics K-9’s are trained to scratch,” the trainer said.  “That’s our final indication.”

‘Truck’ and ‘Sammy’ alone helped police file 70 charges in two weeks.  “We know there are drugs coming in and out of our city,” said officer, Cory Foster.

Highway 20 serves as a gateway for locals, students, tourists and lots of drugs.  “The K-9 guys specifically wanted the opportunity to take a couple of weeks and look for drugs,” Foster said.

Highway 20 isn’t the only roadway the officers are patrolling, but most arrests have ended up happening along the highway.

“A lot of our focus has been where  there’s a high volume of traffic,” Foster said.

Within minutes of starting their shift Wednesday the officers already had an arrest.  “We pulled a guy over for a traffic violation,” said Foster.

With a little help from ‘Truck’ the charge number moved up to 71.  “Dogs are very important,” Foster said.  “They’re a tool like anything else.”

Foster said the operation isn’t something they have the resources to do all the time. However, the department plans on doing the operation again in the future.

Not all charges are drug related.  Police also stopped people for outstanding warrants, driving with a suspended license and other traffic violations.

They’ve confiscated large quantities of marijuana, methamphetamine even mushrooms over the course of the operations.

LINK/VIDEO

Molalla officer pays for training police dog

Officer Mike Holmes and Enzo, a specially trained German shepherd, are now on patrol as the Molla Police Department's second K-9 unit. Peggy Shekell, special to The Oregonian

Officer Mike Holmes wanted to work with a police dog so much that he bought one himself and paid for the training.

Holmes’ drive has paid off for the Molalla Police Department, which just welcomed Holmes and Enzo, a 4 1/2-year-old German shepherd, as the department’s second K-9 unit.

Holmes and Enzo completed their certification training July 21 and have begun regular patrol shifts together. The team now is getting a kind of “on-the-job training” so the dog becomes familiar with the city and the situations that routinely arise.

Police Chief Gerald Giger said the second K-9 unit adds a welcomed dimension to the department.

“They’re going to be a real asset — not only to us, but to all the other police agencies in the county,” Giger said. “We wind up lending K-9 units to one another, depending on who needs one and who has a unit available.”

Molalla’s other K-9 team, Officer Steve Long and Z, also will remain on active service.

Molalla police have had a K-9 program since 1994, and the reasons are simple. According to studies, dogs have about 25 times as many olfactory receptors as humans do. They can detect odors at concentrations about 100 million less than humans can.

They also can hear frequencies that elude humans. They can run much faster. And they have a mouth full of teeth.

Giger said the department put on a fundraiser to buy Z and send him and Long through training together.

“It would be tough in a small town to ask people to reach in their pockets again,” Giger said. “Needless to say, we are very pleased that Officer Holmes is committed to this. We have tried to support his efforts any way we can.”

It may cost as much as $25,000 to buy a dog, go through training, refit a patrol car and buy a kennel. And then, there are the ongoing costs of food and veterinary care.

But Holmes doesn’t care. In fact, he hasn’t even totaled up his personal costs.

“Nine years ago, my first pursuit ended in a perfect canine apprehension,” said Holmes, 35. “Since then, that’s been what I wanted to do.”

LINK

2008 Trooper Of The Year Award

ASP Special Agent Scott Clark (center) is presented the 2008 Trooper of the Year Award

Arkansas State Police Special Agent, Corporal Scott Clark, 40, of Gurdon, was presented with the 2008 Trooper of the Year Award Thursday.

Clark is assigned to the department’s Criminal Investigation Division, Company C, headquartered at Hope. He is a 14-year veteran of the department.

Company C Sergeant John Bishop, 58, of Bradley, a 35-year veteran of the department, S/A Clark and Hempstead County Deputy Sheriff Frank McJunkins were each given awards for their valor and selfless independent acts of bravery during an attack by gunfire on March 12th 2008 south of Hope.

The three officers had left a murder scene investigation and drove several miles to a mobile home situated in a secluded, wooded area of rural Hempstead County. It was at the mobile home officers believed they might locate a suspect wanted in connection with the initial murder investigation.

The State Police Special Agents were told by a resident at the home that no one was inside. S/A Clark and Deputy McJunkins obtained consent to enter the home while Sergeant Bishop took up a position to guard the home exits. As Clark and McJunkins approached a rear bedroom area inside the home, an individual later identified as the murder suspect, was discovered hiding behind a plastic sheet and opened fire on the officers wounding S/A Clark.

Clark and McJunkins returned fire simultaneously as Sergeant Bishop entered the home and began laying suppressive fire in order to provide cover for Clark and McJunkins to take safer positions.

Although wounded, S/A Clark managed to escape the gunfire and return to his car to retrieve a second firearm at which time he was directed to retreat from the area and be transported to a hospital by another State Police Special Agent who had arrived on the scene.

The suspect was later determined to have been killed in the exchange of gunfire with officers.

In nominating the officers for their awards, Company C commander, Lieutenant Glenn Sligh cited S/A Clark for his “bravery and perseverance under fire and his willingness to return to the scene after being wounded to protect his fellow officers…”

The department’s Medal of Valor nomination credits Sergeant Bishop for, “…stepping into the line of fire to protect a fallen officer … (and) his presence of mind to see what needed to be done under extremely stressful circumstances … and his ability to communicate that to responding officers…”

S/A Clark continues today to investigate criminal cases for the department across southwest Arkansas.

Other award recipients include:

Medal of Valor

• S/A’s Sergeant John Bishop and Corporal Scott Clark (see preceding narrative).
• State Police Corporal Elvis Mull of Little Rock and Troopers Jimmy Mitchell of Jacksonville and Robert Middleton of Little Rock, each assigned to the department’s Highway Patrol Division, Troop A, received Medals of Valor for, “…brave and heroic actions” as the Troopers pursued a suspect wanted in connection with the August 13, 2008 murder of Arkansas Democratic Party Chairman Bill Gwatney. As the pursuit ended at Sheridan (Grant County) the Troopers found themselves in dangerously close proximity to the suspect who had begun to take-up an armed defensive position when he was shot and killed by officers. The nomination of the Troopers for the Medal of Valor submitted by Captain Gloria Weakland reads, “…The trooper knew that this dangerous assailant, without provocation, had brutally shot an innocent person, threatened others and would no doubt use the same deadly force on them.” In conclusion Captain Weakland writes, “Bravely and without hesitation, they fired upon the felon and their shots brought the subject to the ground, thus ending the chance of more tragic events transpiring.”
• Corporal Robin Kuykendall, of Alma, assigned to Highway Patrol Division, Troop H was presented a Medal of Valor for his role in locating a suspect wanted for shooting and wounding a Crawford County Sheriff’s Deputy. During the late evening hours of March 16th 2008, while securing a perimeter around the initial shooting scene, Corporal Kuykendall detected, with the aid of an electronic surveillance device, an individual believed to be hiding in an area surrounded by thick underbrush. With the assistance of other Arkansas State Police personnel along the perimeter, Corporal Kuykendall coordinated a means with other nearby officers to illuminate the area. As the light was directed at the underbrush, an individual rose to a prone position holding a shotgun. The suspect was repeatedly ordered to drop the weapon. As he continued to rise and chamber the shotgun with a shell, officers fired on the suspect killing the man believed to have wounded the local sheriff’s deputy. The nomination narrative submitted by Captain Steve Coleman states, “…the actions of Corporal Kuykendall…were commendable and courageous.” Captain Coleman further credited the keen threat awareness of Corporal Kuykendall and his ability to respond appropriately in order to protect other law enforcement officers and citizens in the immediate area.

Trooper’s Cross

• Corporal Chris Waters, of Van Buren, assigned to Highway Patrol Division, Troop H, was presented a Trooper’s Cross for his actions on March 16th 2008 at Van Buren (see preceding narrative relating to Corporal Robin Kuykendall). It was Corporal Waters who exposed himself by illuminating an area where an armed shooting suspect was hiding. Corporal Waters was nominated for the award based on his commander’s acknowledgment of courage of Waters and his selfless steadfast readiness to protect fellow officers along the perimeter.
• Corporals Royce Denney of Griffithville and Tony Bowman of McRae, assigned to Highway Patrol Division, Troop B for their independent roles in the September 10th 2008 stand-off with an armed suspect wanted in connection with a murder and aggravated assault of two White County women. The Troopers are credited with maintaining a calm verbal exchange with the suspect who was armed with a shotgun and had fled the murder scene. During the course of the stand-off the Troopers were able to “courageously” close the distance between themselves and the suspect who eventually surrendered the weapon and was taken into custody.

Memorial Medal

• The Family of Sergeant Richard LeBow, of Ozark was presented the department’s Memorial Medal. Sergeant LeBow, a 27-year veteran of the department, assigned to Highway Patrol Division, Troop H, died in the line of duty during a vehicle crash along Interstate 40 on February 4th 2008. Sergeant LeBow was 51 at the time of his death.
  

Lifesaving Medal

• Captain Mark Allen, of Little Rock, assigned to the department’s Highway Patrol Division command offices, is credited with rescuing two Little Rock Police officers who were semi-conscious and trapped inside a patrol car that had begun to smolder and fill with smoke. The October 12th 2008 incident occurred along Highway 10 in west Little Rock after the patrol car crashed into a concrete and stone sign. Captain Allen is credited with using a police baton to break the patrol car glass windows and extricate the officers to safety.
• Corporal Doug Thomas, of Jonesboro, assigned to Highway Patrol Division, Troop C, is credited with saving the life of a 10-month old child. The chain of events associated with the case has been described as miraculous. In the nomination of Corporal Thomas for the award, State Police personnel have stated, “Corporal Thomas went beyond the call of duty in his actions … and heroically exercised his skills as an Arkansas State Trooper, maintaining a calm demeanor, calling upon all available resources and refusing to surrender his determined efforts to save the child.”
• On February 17th 2008 a vehicle traveling along State Highway 230 west of Bono veered off the highway, struck a bridge guardrail, causing the vehicle to be vaulted into an inverted position and landing in the cold, dark water below. Witnesses immediately rushed into the waters to rescue a woman who had freed herself from the car which was partially submerged. As Corporal Thomas arrived on the scene he joined other witnesses who had re-entered the waters in an attempt to recover the infant daughter of the woman who had been initially rescued. Several attempts were made to enter the submerged vehicle and release the infant from her safety seat. With the assistance of the witnesses, Corporal Thomas was able to upright the vehicle still in the deep water and using a knife, cut the restraining straps holding the infant seat.

  An investigation has determined the child was submerged underwater for 15 to 20 minutes. Once he had removed the baby from the car, Corporal Thomas carried the child to an off-duty nurse who had stopped along the highway to render aid. Resuscitation was initiated and CPR was continued until the infant could be rushed to a Jonesboro hospital. The child was initially listed in critical condition and not expected to survive. Over the course of two-weeks following the traffic crash, doctors reported to State Police the child was rapidly improving and brain scans were positive. The child was eventually removed from life support and demonstrated her ability to breath without medical assistance.

• Corporal Ramey Lovan, of Paragould, assigned to the Highway Patrol Division, Troop C, received a department lifesaving medal for his selfless act of courage on April 30th 2008 while assigned to escort Lieutenant Governor Bill Halter. While transporting the lieutenant governor, Corporal Lovan became aware of thick smoke in a local neighborhood and located a residence engulfed in flames with a handicapped individual who had fallen from her wheelchair and trapped near the structure’s front door. Corporal Lovan exited his patrol car and quickly assessed the situation to confirm no one was inside the burning house, then with the aid of the Lieutenant Governor Halter, removed the woman from the imminent threat of being burned.
• Corporal David Williams, of DeValls Bluff, assigned to Highway Patrol Division, Troop D, was recognized for his June 1st 2008 efforts to save a newborn baby. Corporal Williams was dispatched to a call of a man and woman requesting aid at the Interstate 40, White River Rest Area. Corporal Williams located a female inside a pick-up truck who had only minutes earlier delivered a newborn. The child was unresponsive and the umbilical cord was still attached. Corporal Williams immediately began to wipe the baby’s face and clear an airway obstruction while simultaneously stimulating the baby to begin breathing. The infant was initially unresponsive, but later began to exhibit movement and gasping for breaths. Corporal Williams’ unwavering commitment to use all available resources and his training to protect and sustain the life of the newborn have been cited by physicians as extraordinary measures which saved the life of the child and are a credit to the service of Corporal Williams and the department.

Civilian Employee of the Year

• Karen Nitschke, of North Little Rock, is a 34 year veteran of the department. Ms. Nitschke is assigned to the Administrative Services Division and is the lead headquarters receptionist and information specialist stationed at department’s main switchboard. Ms. Nitschke is one of more than 400 non-commissioned employees who serve in support roles for the State Police enforcement, regulatory and administrative duties. In nominating Ms. Nitschke, her supervisors wrote, “Citizens are professionally served by Karen … whether in person or by telephone, no matter the backlog of calls, Karen maintains a high degree of professionalism and an extraordinary spirit, even under the worst of circumstances that may confront her…”

Distinguished Meritorious Service Award

• Corporal Roby Rhoads, of Atkins, is the recipient of the department’s Meritorious Service Award. As the department’s K-9 coordinator, Corporal Rhoads’ duties are under the command of the department’s Highway Patrol Division administrative command office at Little Rock. Along with his enforcement duties as a Trooper assigned to Troop J, Corporal Rhoads manages the training and certification criteria of sixteen State Police canines and handlers. During 2008 the Arkansas State Police Canine Corps aided law enforcement officers in the detection of approximately 4,000 pounds of illegal drugs and $1.7 million dollars in cash proceeds associated with illegal drug transactions.
  

Distinguished Service Award

• Lieutenant Frank McJunkins, of the Hempstead County Sheriff’s Department was awarded the department’s Distinguished Service Award for his assisting role in a March 12th 2008 shoot-out between law enforcement officers and a Hempstead County murder suspect (see third paragraph, page one of this release).
• John Begley of Grannis and Ethan McClung of Mountain View for their October 5th 2008 act of heroism, selfless disregard for their own personal wellbeing, and compassion for human life that ultimately saved the life of an individual trapped inside a burning vehicle involved in a highway crash along a Stone County highway.

Official Commendations

• Corporal Carl Dunn, of Pine Bluff, assigned to Highway Patrol Troop E, for rendering aid to a motor-vehicle driver trapped between a vehicle and the wall of a structure.
• Linda Dulaney, of Sherwood, assigned to the department’s Crimes Against Children Hotline who received a transfer call on April 16th 2008 from the Northwest Arkansas Crisis Center. The caller was a teenager contemplating suicide. Dulaney was successful in maintaining a conversation with the teenager while other operators assigned to the Hotline coordinated a reverse trace to lead local law enforcement to the location where the call was originating.
• Corporal Ronnie Stewart, of Mammoth Springs, assigned to Highway Patrol Troop I was recognized for his successful efforts to remove a handgun from an individual parked alongside a local highway and threatening suicide.
• Corporal Wendall Jines, of Cherokee Village, assigned to Criminal Investigation Division, Company F, for his tenacity and use of skillful investigative resources which ultimately led to an arrest in connection with eighteen fires intentionally set in Randolph County beginning in 2007 and continuing through 2008.
• Sergeant Kim Fontaine, of Pine Bluff and Telecom Operator Etta Mothershed, of Dumas, assigned to Highway Patrol Troop E, were recognized for the successful organization of a Law Enforcement Day involving ten southeast Arkansas agencies.
• Corporal Todd Shaw, of Melbourne, is credited with the planning and execution of a multi-law enforcement agency raid on a 40-acre marijuana growing operation where more than 8,000 plants were seized and six arrests occurred.
• Sergeant Jackie Speer, of Little Rock, assigned to the department’s Administrative Services Division, Training Section, for his three-year long program teaching emergency vehicle driving operations.
• Corporal Dennis Overton, of Hot Springs, assigned to Highway Patrol, Troop K, for his 2008 Criminal Patrol initiatives which resulted in the seizure of 41 pounds of marijuana, 6 kilograms of cocaine and in excess of $450,000 in cash proceeds used in illegal drug trafficking.
• Corporal Kelly Watkins, of Hot Springs Village, assigned to Highway Patrol, Troop K, for his personal initiative to develop a mentoring program for local elementary school age children. Corporal Watkins uses his “Mike the Talking Bike” program to educate young children about street and highway safety.
• Trooper Oscar Bullard, of Pine Bluff, assigned to Highway Patrol, Troop E, for his community service work as a youth minister and his leadership in youth oriented events established to assist elderly Jefferson County residents.
• Trooper First Class Chris Goodman, of Russellville, assigned to Highway Patrol, Troop J, for his 2008 Criminal Patrol initiatives which resulted in the seizure of approximately 2,198 pounds of marijuana, 33 pounds of cocaine, and in excess of $550,000 in cash proceeds used in illegal drug trafficking.
• Corporal Vic Coleman, of Little Rock, assigned to Highway Patrol, Troop A, for his 2008 Criminal Patrol initiatives which resulted in the seizure of approximately 670 pounds of marijuana, 24 pounds of cocaine, 2 pounds of methamphetamine and in excess $440,000 in cash proceeds used in illegal drug trafficking.
• Corporal Trenton Behnke, of Little Rock, assigned to Highway Patrol, Troop A, for his 2008 Criminal Patrol initiatives which resulted in the seizure of approximately 270 pounds of marijuana, 6 pounds of cocaine and in excess of $179,000 in cash proceeds used in illegal drug trafficking.
• Trooper Aleksandar Krneta, of Hot Springs, assigned to Highway Patrol, Troop K, for his cumulative efforts during 2008 to identify and arrest drunk drivers. Trooper Krneta is credited with 75 DWI/DUI arrests.
• Sheila Stanley, of Malvern, assigned to Highway Patrol, Troop K, for her exemplary cumulative job record which spans more than 22 years of public service in a non-commissioned law enforcement office capacity.
• Trooper Chad Staley, of Malvern, assigned to Highway Patrol, Troop K, for his cumulative efforts during 2008 to identify and arrest drunk drivers. Trooper Staley is credited with 67 DWI/DUI arrests.
• Corporal Ron Casey, of Sheridan, assigned to Highway Patrol, Troop K, for his initiatives during 2008 to reduce the number of highway traffic crashes in the Grant County area. Corporal Case is credited with issuing 1,200 traffic citations for hazardous driving violations and arresting 45 drunk drivers.

LINK

New K-9 for Canton to be chosen Aug. 5; Canton Police Officer Demott to be dog’s handler

A new police dog for Canton will be selected next week, and the officer to handle the K-9 has been named.
Police Chief Dan Taylor said Tuesday at a meeting of the city council’s Mechanical Committees that Officer Ryan Demott will handle the new dog to be chosen Wednesday, Aug. 5, at Von Liche Kennels in Indiana. Demott will have a few weeks to bond with the dog, and then K-9 training will begin Aug. 31 at the Illinois State Police Academy.
Taylor said funding for the new K-9 unit will be covered through a Project Safe Neighborhood grant of $3,700, a donation of $2,000 from the local police union, drug forfeiture account monies, and donations from the community. Kennel supplies already have been obtained, he noted.
Taylor also reported arrests for June this year were up at 138 compared to 68 in June 2008. Local police also issued 166 citations last month, up from 119 in June of last year.

LINK

Bike patrol and K-9 unit keep streets safe in Wolfforth

You wouldn’t expect a town of 3500 people to have a bike patrol or a K-9 unit, but in Wolfforth they have both. Police Chief Rick Scott says they had some drug seizure money and used it to create a bike patrol. “It’s just a way to get the officers out in the community. They interact with the citizens and it’s a way to get some information and it’s just a good interaction tool,” says Chief Scott.

The Wolfforth K-9 unit has a dual purpose dog. Dino is both a patrol dog as well as a drug detection dog. “The kids just love him. He’s unlike some of the Sheriff’s dogs, where they can’t really let them into a crowd but this one here just loves kids,” says Wolfforth Patrolman Frank Shlagel. Dino has helped with two felony apprehensions, and has not had to bite anyone in the line of duty.

LINK

Greenbelt Officer to Make His Exit; Police Department’s Public Relations Chief Is Retiring

It’s out with the old badge and in with the new at the Greenbelt Police Department.

Officer George Mathews, a 23-year department veteran, said he will miss his position after his retirement as the department’s crime prevention and public information officer.

Mathews’ last day will be Saturday, and he will turn over responsibility for handling the department’s crime prevention and community relations efforts, as well as news information and the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program at city schools, to his replacement, Officer Kelly Lawson.

Mathews started as a dispatcher at Hyattsville’s police department in 1979 before becoming an officer. He stayed there for seven years before joining Greenbelt, after he befriended some Greenbelt officers in the police academy.

In 2004, Mathews joined the Prince George’s County Deferred Retirement Option Plan, which allows officers to retire and accumulate a lump sum of money for retirement, up to a maximum of 85 percent of the employee’s average final salary, according to a county Web site. The plan can be used by officers who are at least 55 years old, or who have between 20 and 30 years of service. After 30 years, the officers are forced to retire.

Besides speaking at organizations, clubs and neighborhood watch groups, Mathews was responsible for interacting with the public in events such as the Labor Day Festival and Christmas Bazaar booths.

“It’s a good opportunity to go out and meet people you don’t know and strengthen the ties with the people you already know,” said Mathews, 51, of Odenton. “I made a lot of friends for life. . . . It’s hard to believe that it’s gone by so quickly.”

Mathews said some of the more challenging aspects of the job were dealing with cases that received national coverage, such as the 1993 “crossbow rapist,” who attacked women in the county, including Greenbelt, and the 2002 sniper shootings throughout the region.

Still, Mathews said, the rewards outweighed the challenges, as his favorite part of the job was working with children, whether at schools or leading tours of the police station for area Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts.

“More than anything, I’ll miss the people and the camaraderie inside the police department. I don’t think I’ll ever do anything with that teamwork aspect,” he said. “There’s a unique fraternity dealing with police officers.”

Lt. Carl Schinner, who worked with Mathews for 23 years, said that he was a great employee and a department mainstay.

“He’s done wonders for our public relations throughout the entire city,” he said.

Lawson, 29, said she is excited about following in Mathews’s footsteps.

“The biggest thing I want to get across to people is don’t be afraid to call the police,” she said. “If we don’t receive the phone call, we don’t know and can’t do anything about it.”

Lawson has been with the department since April 2003.

Mathews said he is looking forward to spending more time with his daughters — Hanna, 9, and Taylor, 10 — and his wife, Tracy.

“My girls will miss the police car,” he said. “My 9-year-old is already upset at me that I won’t have a police cruiser anymore. I told them the trade-off is I’ll be able to spend more time with them. I don’t know if it works for them, but it will for me.”

LINK/PICTURE

Bulletproof dog gets bite-proof trainer

The Sequim Police Department’s K-9 program has a bullet-resistant vest and a bite training suit valued at $2,000 thanks to the Sunrise Rotary Club and an anonymous donor.
“These are valuable pieces of equipment necessary for the training and application of our K-9 unit,” said Sequim K-9 Officer Mike Hill.
“They assist Chase in his training and will help him stay safe while he’s at work.
“Because of the support and generosity of the citizens, organizations and businesses of Sequim, our K-9 program has been able to prosper since its inception in 2000,” he said.
The vest for K-9 Officer Chase was bought with donations from the Sequim Sunrise Rotary.
The bite suit was donated anonymously. It is used to protect officers while Chase practices attacking suspects.
Chase is the Sequim Police Department’s third police dog but first patrol dog. The department’s first two dogs, Huey and Titus, were trained to sniff for drugs, as Chase will be later.
The Sequim Police Department decided in 2007 to switch from a narcotics dog to a patrol dog because of an increase in assaults, felonies and physical altercations between officers and suspects.
In 2008, Chase caught suspects wanted for murder, armed robbery and residential burglary.
Two of them carried firearms and one had an improvised explosive device.
Chase was born Aug. 2, 2005, in the Netherlands. He was bought with donations to the Police Department K-9 program. Hill selected him from about 50 dogs at a kennel in North Carolina.
Chase and Hill graduated from the Police K-9 Academy in July 2008 following four months of training.
The two went through 450 hours of instruction and practice that included tracking, trailing, evidence recovery, suspect apprehension, master protection, finding evidence and searching areas and buildings, Hill said.
The training included pursuing suspects through water and having Chase jump onto a rooftop from Hill’s shoulders,
The pair now is certified through the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission as well as accredited by the Washington State Police Canine Association.

LINK

K-9 officer pays off for Lpcust Grove

All the hard work and training is beginning to pay off for Locust Grove police officer Nate Cooper and his K-9 partner, Brit. A former Oklahoma Highway Patrol officer, Brit was given to the town and matched with Cooper.

Together they have trained to become partners. Since Brit joined the Locust Grove police department he has been instrumental in finding drugs during traffic stops. He has discovered many types of illegal drugs and more recently guns.

“He’s doing a good job,” said Cooper.

On Friday, July 17, Cooper and his partner were involved in a routine traffic stop of a semi truck at 9:30 p.m.. During the stop, Dispatch told Cooper the driver of truck, Romell Keith Esters, 43, of Augusta, Ga., had two felony warrants in the state of Georgia. One warrant was for felony burglary while the other was for felony fraud.

Cooper said he got the driver out of the vehicle to talk about the warrants and asked him to put his hands behind his back.

“He started to comply and boom he just took off,” Cooper said.

Another officer, Wade Henderson, began a foot chase while Cooper told the man to stop, he had a K-9 officer.

“Brit gave chase and ran into a creek bed,” Cooper said.

Cooper said the dog hit the man with his body knocking him to the ground so that the other officers could make the arrest. Esters was taken to Mayes County Medical Center for an abrasions on his knees and right calf. After being released from MCMC, Esters was transported to the Mayes County Jail where he is awaiting extradition to Georgia.

“All the hard work and long hours have paid off,” Cooper said.

LINK

New Castle PD hopes event helps Canine Corps stay put

OFFICER’S BEST FRIEND: Sgt. John Colella is Achill’s partner.

A bike run Saturday will benefit the unit.

He has everything the well-dressed cop needs, such as a badge and a bulletproof vest.

He’s kinda cute, too, with his big brown eyes — and that tail that wags furiously when he enthusiastically chomps down on the arm of a fellow officer who, fortunately, is wearing a bite sleeve.

That training is fun stuff for him. It’s like a game. But Achill, a nearly 5-year-old, four-legged member of the New Castle Police Department’s Canine Corps, is a serious tool for the two-legged members of the department. They use him and two other shepherd dogs, Vader and Bronco, to sniff out narcotics, bombs, suspects and missing people.

The department is hoping, said New Castle Police Chief Tom Sansone, to be able to keep the dogs in light of the city’s financial situation — it’s distressed under Pa. Act 47, and the state is controlling the purse strings.

Some people in the community agree that the dogs would be a real loss for the city. A bike run, called Paws for Peace, will take place Saturday to benefit the unit.

NewCastle hadn’t had a canine team since the 1970s, said Sansone. But the city revived the unit, starting with a dog named Chuck, in 2003.

Chuck, now retired, lives with his former handler, Sgt. John Colella.

Achill lives with Colella, too. While Chuck, 12, enjoys his golden years, Achill and Colella go to work patrolling in the city.

The dogs are, said Colella, a valuable asset when it comes to police work.

“On the street, people don’t run,” he said. “Bringing a dog out, you can settle a situation down. They fear the dog more than the manpower.”

Achill has some feathers in his collar when it comes to good work for the department.

Once, Sansone said, he sniffed out $150,000 in drug money under a trap door in a house that had already been searched by police. Traces of drugs were on the money, and no human nose would have picked up that scent.

Seized drug money, Sansone pointed out, benefits the prosecutor’s office and the police department.

Colella remembered a domestic situation in Taylor Township only a few weeks into Achill’s service for the department.

“The guy had run into the woods,” Colella said. “He wasn’t moving. The dog found him right away.”

The dogs are good for public relations, too, Sansone said. They visit with school and youth groups.

Bronco’s appearance at the city’s recent Fireworks Festival was a success. “The kids were all grabbing him and pulling his hair,” said Sansone, though Colella said the dogs aren’t as patient and as accepting of the attention as a pet dog would be. He said he can tell that after so long, Achill would rather be done with the socializing.

Vader was actually hurt several weeks ago during a demonstration before a church youth group — seizing up and dropping straight to the ground in pain while going for the bite sleeve.

He’ll be out of service for a while, recovering from a sprained neck.

Sansone said the dogs are not expensive to keep once they are acquired and trained for $6,000 to $8,000 apiece. The K-9 cruisers can be expensive to maintain, he said, because they have to run constantly while the dogs are in them.

Wal-Mart donates dog food, and a local veterinarian donates his services — though the department will get a bill for the sprained neck from Ohio State University’s hospital at the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Sansone said, though, that he had to convince the state that the unit was not an unnecessary expense for the city.

Contributions such as those gathered through the bike run, he said, are important because the state is not as likely to want to disband the unit if donations help support it.

The bike run will begin with registrations at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Scottish Rite Cathedral, 110 E. Lincoln Ave.

Starting at 11 a.m., it will wind its way through four counties before ending up at Cascade Park for a lunch and a meet-and-greet with the dogs — at least Bronco and Achill. Vader might still be recovering, said Sansone.

Registration costs $20 for one rider and $30 for two riders.

Registration is also available at www.newcastlepawsforpeace.bravehost.com, or call (724) 714-2776.

LINK/MORE PICS

Pooch protector: K-9 getting bulletproof vest

Thanks to recent fund-raising efforts, a K-9 officer with the Covington County Sheriff’s Office has been chosen as the first recipient of a bulletproof vest.

Jamilla Hudson first announced the project in February after reading a story called “Protecting K-9 Cops” in The American Profile, an insert in The Star-News. It told the story of New Mexico resident Susie Jean and her non-profit organization Vest ‘n P.D.P. (Police Dog Protection). Since 2002, the organization has outfitted more than 260 vests for police dogs across the nation.

In February, Hudson said she hoped to increase that number by six in the coming months.

Thanks to various donations from private citizens and civic groups throughout the county, Hudson has raised $988 and can now reduce the number of needed vests to five.

“I sent the money to Susie Jean and she called me and told me that we had enough money to go ahead and get one vest,” Hudson said. “I told her I wanted to get all the vests at one time, but she said it would be best to go ahead and get the one vest so that at least one dog could be protected.”

Hudson said it was a hard decision to make, but ultimately she decided it would go to Kas, the K-9 partner of Sheriff’s Deputy Nic Ireland. The $700 vest will take approximately six to eight weeks to arrive and is expected to be here at the end of August.

Currently, Hudson is in the process of securing more funds so that the other K-9 officers in the county can have vests.

“There are other dogs in the county that need the vests,” she said. “I made a promise to those officers and I intend to keep it.”

Sizeable donations were given by the Shriner’s Club, the Andalusia Area Humane Society, Barbara Nelson of Second Home Boarding Kennel in Babbie and Kenneth and Gina Ireland, as well as other private donations.

To help raise more funds, donation cans are featured at a variety of local businesses, and a raffle will be held Aug. 7. The prize will feature a spay or neuter from Boothe Veterinary Clinic and a wide variety of pet-related items from businesses in Opp and Andalusia. Tickets are $1 each. Additionally, Gitty-Up-N-Go owner Roy Mohon has pledged to match the raffle’s proceeds, Hudson said.

Donations are tax-deductible and checks can be made payable to “vestnpdp” (with Andalusia, Opp, Covington County on memo line) and mailed to Jamilla Hudson, 18600 Grace Lane, Opp, AL 36467.

LINK