Atlantic City Mayor may accept invitation to police K-9 demonstration

The removal of K-9 patrol units from the streets of Atlantic City In the wake of alleged abusive dog bites has prompted Atlantic County Public Safety Director Vince Jones to invite Atlantic City Mayor Lorenzo Langford to come to a K-9 training demonstration at his academy.

Jones wants the dogs back on the street.

Jones’ office oversees the K-9 training academy. His major concern he said was the safety of police officers and the public.

Langford’s Press Secretary Kevin Hall said the mayor may accept if he is formally invited by Jones.

On Tuesday, Jones said K-9 dogs are valuable assets in saving police officer lives and are highly trained and maintained.

“I would much rather send a K-9 into an empty building than risk the life of the officer, Jones said.

Jones’ academy graduates have won numerous national awards in competition. He added that officers and their dogs come from throughout New Jersey for the specialized training they receive in search and rescue, bomb detection, patrol, and narcotics. Including the K-9 dogs in Atlantic City.

He added that trying to control fights in large crowds without K-9 dogs is very dangerous to police officer and people in the crowds.

“If you have a fight with 50 or 60 people, they will attack the officers that come on the scene,” Jones said. “But if you have one K-9 dog there, the crowed will automatically disperse. Sometimes you don’t even need to take the dog out of the car. They hear the barking and they leave.”

In Atlantic City, Langford is responding to citizens’s complaints about K9 unit dogs.  He has ordered the patrol dogs off the street until he has completed a review of complaints from citizens who have been bitten during apprehension by the K-9s, according to Hall.

“The mayor is concerned about abuse by dogs during the arrest process,” said Hall, “He wants to put the dogs on hold pending a review and to evaluate the validity of the (citizens) complaints.”

Hall said that the Atlantic City K-9 units dogs will still be used for bomb sniffing, drug tracking and detection.  He added that the police dogs will still be sent out on mutual aid calls from other cities in the county.

Jones said the K-9 units from Atlantic City compose half of the county’s force of K-9 dogs. He pointed to K-9s importance in shooting incidents involving citizens and officers around the county.

“We had two officers shot in Egg Harbor Township,” Jones said. “The dogs picked up the scent and apprehended the individual. I am glad he is off the street and I hope he never sees the light of day.”

Jones added that after every dog bite a review is conducted to see if the police officer and the dog have followed procedures and acted appropriately or if any changes have to be made.

Jones also credits the success of the academy to an Atlantic City police dog trainer.

“Sgt. Kevin McKnight from Atlantic City is in my opinion the best K-9 instructor in the country,” Jones said. “Not all the dogs that come to the academy graduate. Some are too aggressive and if they are, they wash out and do not go on to become K-9s”

The question in Langford’s city is if the K-9 dogs and handlers are abusing citizens when they are arrested, according to Hall.

“Once the investigation is complete the mayor will ask the business administrator to implement new plans for the K-9 dogs, he said.”

Hall said the time frame for completion of that review is uncertain. He said Police Chief John J. Mooney is not cooperating with the mayor.

“The time frame is up in the air,” Hall said. “We have received limited cooperation from the police department. The mayor wants more attention paid to the matter.”

Chief Mooney has not yet responded to a call placed directly to his office.

Jones said he is highly confident in the training of the dogs and their handlers in Atlantic City. He said the dogs are not vicious and only respond on command of their handler. The K-9 dogs live with the K-9 officers and their families. They are also nationally recognized as real police officers.

“If you attack and injure a police dog, it is like attacking a police officer,” Jones said. “You get charged with that too.”

“My neighbor is an Atlantic City K-9 officer. My children ages, 4, 9 and 15 are allowed to go next door and play with their children and the K-9 dog” Jones said.

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