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.
Benefit meal will help Dallas police officer recovering from brain clots
Chow down Thursday and help an officer in need. Dallas police and volunteers will dish up plates of food for $5 donations to help Alex Garcia, a young officer who developed blood clots on his brain this summer and is going through rehabilitation.
On the menu: Barbecued chicken, hot links, hot dogs, hamburgers, potato salad and lemonade will be served from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Northeast Patrol Division, 9915 E. Northwest Highway. Eat under an awning in the back or take it to go. Look for parking signs across the street.
The beneficiary: Garcia was attending an out-of-state Police Explorer’s conference when he became severely dehydrated and suffered brain hemorrhaging. He’s home but continuing rehab at UT Southwestern Medical Center’s Zale Lipshy Hospital. The benefit, organized by the Neighborhood Police Officers Unit, will help with medical bills and related expenses, said Officer Mitch Gatson.
Condition update: Dallas police forwarded this update last Wednesday from his wife, Rosa: “Alex is progressing at a fast pace. The rehabilitation personnel, Alex, and I had a meeting last week and we were told that they have 3 levels of people they work with:
1. Those that can’t do anything by themselves and need the most help.
2. The middle level, which is where Alex was originally.
3. The exit level, which really focuses on getting patients ready to return to work and be independent. The great news is that Alex is now in the exit level. … They don’t have an exact discharge date, but they did mention maybe two or three more months. It really all depends on how he is doing.”
Master of Arms to state trooper
Dave and Carolyn Faulkner are pleased to announce the graduation of their son Jacob Faulkner of the Tehachapi High School class of 2003, from the Oregon State Police Academy. After serving for five years in the United States Navy as a master of arms, Jake applied and was accepted as an Oregon State Trooper.
Jake began at the State Training Facility in Salem Oregon on Jan 4, 2009. He graduated on June 19, with a class of 44 from all law enforcement agencies and was chosen as the recipient of the Governors Award which consists of overall outstanding in his class for; marksmanship, defensive tactics and academics. In addition the recipient of the Governors Award is chosen by the instructors and their peers.
Jake continued with a post academy for state police cadets and graduated on Aug. 1 and was chosen for an award for defensive tactics.
Nassau cops credit gunshot detection system
Since being turned on a month ago in two of Nassau County’s most dangerous communities, gunshot detection sensors in Uniondale and Roosevelt have tipped off cops to the precise locations of at least four gun crimes – alerts that police brass say sped up medical care for the wounded and hastened the arrests of the shooters, the county executive announced Tuesday.
The sonic sensors, part of a nearly $850,000 microphone-and-computer system called ShotSpotter, alerts 911 dispatchers about noises a computer program thinks are gunfire.
The computer pinpoints gunfire locations within about 82 feet and provides information such as whether the shooter was moving or standing still.
Dozens of the sensor microphones have been installed discreetly in what police call “the gun corridor” because of how many weapons crimes they investigate there, Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi said.
At a news conference, Suozzi and Police Commissioner Lawrence Mulvey gave details of cases for which they credited ShotSpotter with helping offi-cers get to the scene quicker.
In July, a man shot at a party was taken to a hospital quicker because the ShotSpotter alerted officers before the first 911 calls came in, officials said. The man survived the shooting. And four suspects were arrested earlier this week in connection with an illegal handgun after the system detected gunfire in their area.
ShotSpotter sales literature states that communities using its system report a drop in violent crime of at least 30 percent and gunfire rates reduced by as much as 60 percent to 80 percent.
Mulvey said he hopes word of the gunshot sensors will deter gun crimes by generating expectations that officers will respond to a crime scene quicker.
Right now, most of what trips the sensors is ambient noises in the community – sounds of construction, helicopters and fireworks, said William G. Flanagan, a second deputy commissioner in charge of the gunshot sensor program.
When the sensors were activated on July 23, Flanagan’s team began what will be about six months of calibrations to help filter out false alarms. Eventually, most of the alerts to 911 dispatchers will be from actual gunfire, Flanagan said.
Mountain View, Calif.-based ShotSpotter Inc., told county officials that after the calibration period, about 85 percent of the system alerts will be for gunshots, county authorities said.
K-9 unit praised for tracking thieves
Butler Police arrested two men, Sunday, in connection with a crime spree downtown.
Around 6:30 a.m. Sunday, police received a suspected robbery call at Worker’s World on South Broadway. Officer Matt Traster was the first officer to arrive on scene. He found the store’s front window smashed. “The door was slightly ajar, there was glass debris all over the ground,” Traster explained.
He immediately called for backup and requested a K-9 unit.
Soon after, officer George Gensic of the Auburn Police Department and his 2 1/2 year old dog Paco showed up. It was Paco’s first on duty track. Within three minutes, Paco led officers one block northbound, up a stairwell, and to an apartment on the 100 block of S. Broadway.
“We had very ideal conditions yesterday,” said Gensic. “It was dry, approximately 68 degrees and there was no noticeable breeze, so the scent that was coming off of the individuals stayed in the area.”
On the way, officers realized Towne Hardware and Maxton Motors were also broken into. Suspects inside Maxton Motors damaged the building and stole a vehicle which was found outside the same apartment.
Officers were able to gain entry into the apartment and found suspects who matched descriptions given by witnesses. They also found several items from Worker’s World.
After questioning the suspects, Corry M. Jacob, 19 and Joshua E. Mckee, 19 were arrested for theft and burglary.
Butler police chief James Nichols and Officer Traster are praising Paco and Officer Gensic for their work.
“This dog was phenomenal,” said Traster. “I have never, never in my 13 years in law enforcement experienced (that) and apprehended somebody so quick in this type of a situation..”
Gensic says Paco was just doing his job as do other K-9 units in the area.
Dogs join fight against cancer at Bark for Life
Pooches of all breeds and their owners paraded around East Peoria’s Riverfront Park Saturday morning for the area’s first “Bark for Life” fundraiser to help the fight against cancer. The American Cancer Society sponsored the event.
Joni Andrews / Times staff Trainer Dave Haskins and East Peoria Canine Officer Boyd put on a demonstration in the American Cancer Society’s Bark for Life, which took place at the East Peoria Riverfront on Saturday morning.
“Although we had a small turnout this year, we are satisfied,” said Brook Cranford, income development manager for the American Cancer Society. “We are taking baby steps. It is the first time for this event in this area, and we are sure that it will grow in the coming years. Nationally, the Bark for Life event has raised quite a bit of money and seems to be larger each year. Bark for Life reaches a new niche of people wanting to help the fight against cancer.”
Cranford said the funds raised are divided into four categories: research, advocacy, education and patient service programs, which help local families to find resources and assistance like wigs, medicine, financial help or transportation to the doctor.
Caitlin Hubbard, chairman of Saturday’s event, brought her golden retriever, Alfie, for the walk.
“Alfie is 2 ½ years old and weighs 75 pounds,” she said. “We chose Alfie because we prefer large dogs and golden retrievers are great family dogs. They are highly trainable, lovable and good with kids. We got him in Mexico. Mexico’s pet culture is very different than here in the United States. He understands commands in Spanish as well as English.”
Carol Weber of Germantown Hills brought both of her family’s golden retrievers, Beau and Luke, for the event.
She was accompanied by her family’s Russian foreign exchange student, Alex Druzhinin, who was getting his first look at a demonstration of community service and fundraising in the United States.
Druzhinin, who will be a senior at Metamora School until May 2010, said he is very excited to be in America. “Our family has only one dog, and his name is Frosya. He is a dachshund. We live in a medium to small apartment, and we like the smaller dogs. He sleeps with me at home,” he said, adding that he saw many large dogs on leashes while passing through customs.
“Everything is much different here than in Russia,” Druzhinin said. “Really, there are wide differences in lifestyles, communities and everything. We have things like this in Russia, but I think it is bigger. Usually it is 50/50 — the government does 50 percent and individuals do the other 50 percent.”
Weber said Druzhinin is in the Future Leader Exchange Program and must volunteer in community service programs to learn about the differences in cultures and share it with others. She said she thought Bark for Life would be a good place to start.
In addition to providing exercise for the four-legged participants, the event also included a demonstration by East Peoria’s K-9 unit that showed what the dog can do and how important he is to the police department. Officer Matt Bolton brought the city’s German shepherd K-9 officer, Boyd, who lives with Officer Bolton and his family. Although the dog was purchased by the Par-A-Dice Hotel and Casino, he will be the property of the East Peoria Police Department until his retirement, at which time Bolton will have the opportunity to purchase him for $1.
Boyd was taught commands in German. “‘Nein’ means no and ‘aus’ means to drop it or sit,” Bolton said, explaining the commands to the audience. “We chose the German shepherd because they are very well-balanced in protecting and are easier to train. The Malinois are high strung dogs and are a little more difficult to train.”
Dave Haskins, president of Central Illinois Police and Working Dog Association, helped with the demonstration. The dog latched his teeth into Haskins’ protective suit and did not let go until Bolton gave the command.
“One time a man stopped to ask for directions, and Boyd went crazy. He found 800 grams of meth with a street value of $50,000,” Bolton said. “He is trained to find heroin, meth, marijuana and cocaine. He is a very important for the war on drugs.”
Dr. Ray Ramirez, a veterinarian at Lakeview Veterinary Clinic in East Peoria, was on hand to answer questions or give advice to the public. “Dogs and cats are subject to some of the same kinds of cancers as people,” he said. “They have been doing some clinical trials on cats and dogs with cancer that mimics human beings with some success.”
Gastonia Police K-9 now has bulletproof vest
Gastonia Police K-9 Vader has protection against gun- and knife-wielding suspects with his first new bulletproof/stab proof vest.
Gastonia Police received the vest Aug. 14 after recently making contact with Susie Jean, founder of the non-profit organization, Vest N Police Dog Protection. Vest N Police Dog Protection is a non-profit corporation created in 2002 to raise money for bulletproof/stab proof vests for K-9s which cost $695 each, according to the vestnpdp.com Web site.
“The vest fits well,” said Sgt. Steve Colvard, Gastonia’s K-9 Unit supervisor. “Officer Thomas Doby is in the process of securing vests for all our dogs now.”
Gastonia Police Department’s K-9 Unit started in 1990 and consists of six teams. All of the department’s teams are trained to obtain the Police Dog I and II certifications through the United States Police Canine Association. These certifications ensure national standards are met for police dogs in obedience and agility, hidden suspect searches and criminal apprehension.
GPD’s K-9 Unit members include Colvard, Doby and K-9 Vader, Jeff Ford and K-9 Bane, Ronnie Bozardt and K-9 Cody, Clay Anthony and K-9 Luke, and Justin Etters and K-9 Kanto.
Waite Park police want help naming new K-9 officer
The Waite Park Police Department is looking for the public’s help in naming a new police dog.
The department is retiring Ranger and will purchase a new dog with a donation from the Waite Park Westside Liquor.
A box has been set up at the store, 45 Waite Ave. N, for residents to suggest names for the new police dog.
Badly wounded Broward Sheriff’s deputy says he wants to return to work
Maury Hernandez, who survived a gunshot to the head, has made a significant recovery but says the agency wants him to retire with a disability pension
A Broward County sheriff’s deputy who survived a gunshot to the head has spent the past two years undergoing daily physical therapy, determined to return to the force.
Deputy Maury Hernandez, 30, has made significant gains in his recovery after a felon shot him during a traffic stop in August 2007. But he said he was disappointed that his agency this month offered him little choice but to retire with a disability pension.
It’s a dream-shattering proposal he is not inclined to accept, Hernandez said Monday.
“I want to work again,” Hernandez said in an e-mail. “Law enforcement is what I know and what I love, and law enforcement is what I would prefer to do.”
Spokesman Jim Leljedal said the Sheriff’s Office hasn’t made a final decision on Hernandez’s case, adding the agency needs to again meet with Hernandez and his lawyer. Still, if Hernandez hasn’t recovered adequately, whether he would be at greater risk of future injury would be a concern, Leljedal said.
“Everybody at BSO loves and admires Maury,” Leljedal said.
Hernandez’s lawyer, Lance Block, said he had expected a job offer Aug. 5 but instead was urged to accept his permanent disability retirement. Staff allegedly told Hernandez, “This is what’s best for you,” Block said.
After the near-fatal shooting, Hernandez has made what even his Sheriff’s Office co-workers have called a miraculous comeback.
Hernandez, awarded a sheriff’s Medal of Honor last year, has gotten an outpouring of community support at public appearances he has made across South Florida. He attended court proceedings last year to watch his shooter, David Maldonado, be found guilty of attempted first-degree murder. Maldonado was later sentenced to life in prison.
Hernandez was left with several disabilities after the shooting, including a limp and a slightly paralyzed left arm. He acknowledges he wouldn’t be able to return to his old post as an undercover detective, where he once cracked down on street crimes, robberies and prostitution. But “there are options that I believe I am qualified for,” he said.
Among the jobs he has considered are working with recruits at an academy or participating in D.A.R.E., a program aimed at deterring schoolchildren from using illegal drugs.
“I enjoy public speaking and believe I have something to offer the BSO and the community,” Hernandez said.
“It’s a real sad situation,” Block said. “Maury took a bullet for his job, and now he doesn’t have a job even though he feels like he can offer something.”
The Sheriff’s Office has long desired for “a happy ending where Maury would come back to work, and it would be better than it was before,” Leljedal said. “At this point, we have to look at this, realistically.”
“He needs to look at the options and make a decision,” Leljedal said, adding that Hernandez accepting his disability pension was one possibility. “We all want the best for him.”
Minnesota State Trooper Speaks Out After Accident
After just four months on the job, a Minnesota State Trooper says he is lucky to be alive after surviving a collision on I-35.
“I think God was really watching out for me that night,” said Trooper Erick Sjodin.
Early Saturday morning, just after midnight, Sjodin was on the lookout for a suspected drunk driver just south of Cloquet, when his patrol car was broad-sided and smashed against a guardrail.
“I saw headlights coming straight at me and the rest is kind of a blur,” he said.
The car that hit him was a 1998 Subaru. The driver, Timothy Langguth, 61 is a dentist in Duluth, but lives in Moose Lake. He was taken to St. Mary’s Hospital and has been upgraded from critical to fair condition.
Sjodin suffered some internal bleeding and damage to a lung.
His wife, Angela, heard about the accident through a phone call around 1:30 that morning.
“A million things went through my mind,” she said. “We are just blessed to have him here with us now.”
Sjodin has been a trooper for just four months and says the accident hasn’t given him any doubts about his job.
“If anything it just makes me more passionate to get out there and keep the roadways safe,” said Sjodin.
The state patrol says alcohol was a factor in the accident, but they are awaiting blood tests to see if it caused the crash.
Meanwhile, Sjodin expects to be back to work in a couple weeks.
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