Coping With The Dangers Of Law Enforcement

Guntersville Police Officer Jason Austin was shot in the line of duty Monday night.

Remarkably, even after suffering a shot to head, he is out of the hospital and said to be doing fine, but according to officials, part of the bullet that grazed his head is embedded behind his left ear.

Only centimeters could have made a life or death difference.

Now Guntersville police are coping with what could have been the death of a fellow officer.

The officers say they understand the dangers of their job, but when a brother of sorts comes so close to death it can take an emotional toll.

Fellow officer, Deputy Chief Thomas Bearden said, “it’s real emotional like I spoke to one of the Captains and he said the first thing he did was sent the Lord up a prayer.”

According to Bearden that prayer must have worked because Officer Austin is out of the hospital despite having a piece of the bullet still embedded in his head.

“We hope for the best and we feel that last night the Lord was riding with Jason when this occurred.  It’s this faith that helps a lot of the guys, that’s how we deal with it,” said Bearden.

Bearden expects that Officer Austin will continue enforcing the law, despite being shot in the line of duty.

“He’s taking it well.  Like I said, in our training and stuff we hope that something like this never happens but in the back of your mind as a police officer it’s always got to be there, that it could happen,” said Bearden.

Deputy Chief Bearden said that each of the 42 officers at the Guntersville Police Department train for the dangers of their job but anytime a fellow officer is injured they take a moment to reflect.

“Being a brother ship your heart goes out to him and your heart goes out to the family and we just hope that he’ll recover and we believe he will,” said Bearden.

Officials say that the bullet fragment will be removed in a few weeks when the swelling has reduced.

Fellow officers hope, and expect, everything to go well with Officer Austin’s surgery.

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All together now… awwwwww

Wonder if any of them will grow up to be police dogs? After all they are Lab/Shepherd mix. Bet that officer got a big surprise when he came back to the cruiser…LOL!
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Eight puppies were born in the back of a Winnipeg police car while the officers were responding to a call on Thursday.

The officers were on regular patrol when they noticed a couple of dogs wandering in traffic near Mountain Avenue and McPhillips Street around 2:30 a.m.

They were able to coax the dogs into the rear of their cruiser, luring them with food purchased at a local convenience store.

While on their way to take the dogs to an animal shelter, the officers responded to a call for assistance in regards to a man with a gun seen in the 800 block of Redwood Avenue, just a few blocks away.

The officers were on the scene of the weapons incident for about four hours while the dogs remained in the back of the cruiser.

After the incident was over, the officers returned to their car to discover the female Labrador/Shepherd cross had given birth to eight puppies.

The canine family was taken to the city’s animal pound, where two more puppies were born.

The owner of the dogs was located, and after paying a fine for letting his dogs run loose, went home with both dogs and the new brood.

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Rest in Peace, K-9 Abby, Job Well Done

"Clear Lake Police Department K-9 "Abby" died Monday after a short battle with cancer.

Clear Lake Police Officers are mourning the loss of their police dog Abby.

She spent two years working in Clear Lake.  The k-9 helped officers with several drug busts and tracked some missing people.

After a short battle with cancer Abby died on Monday.

Police Chief Greg Peterson says unlike typical police dogs, she was very good around people, especially children.

“I think it will leave a hole in the community, I think the amazing thing over the last two years that I saw, just how so many people in the community loved her,” Peterson said.

Peterson says the department will hold a memorial service for Abby late next week.

He says the department will work on getting a new police dog next spring.  He says they will need help from the public.  He says now that they have all of the equipment it will cost about $7,000 dollars to purchase and train a new K-9.

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Pet cemetery honors K-9 military heroes

A game of catch, a bowl of kibble and the undying loyalty of their handlers is the only pay police and military dogs receive for their service.In recognition of National Pet Memorial Day, the Lohman family unveiled a special memorial Friday to these four-legged heroes at its pet cemetery at Daytona Memorial Park, as bloodhounds bayed, shepherds barked and retrievers silently wagged their tails. The breeds of working police dogs came from across three counties.

Ralph Orlando, vice president of the Obedience Club of Daytona, started raising money for an organization called Support Military Working Dogs, which provides cooling vests and other protective gear to help the animals burdened with working in Iraq and Afghanistan’s extreme conditions to support U.S. forces. Not long after, he suggested to the Lohmans that they dedicate a memorial to these special dogs.

“These dogs deserve recognition,” Orlando said.

Lee Conger, a retired naval officer of 21 years and military law enforcement K-9 trainer for the past 10 years, said the dogs are truly a blessing.

“My dad fought in Vietnam, and he told me about a patrol they were on,” said the trainer who traveled from Jacksonville for the unveiling of the memorial. “They almost walked into an ambush and would have if it wasn’t for the K-9 unit alerting them. This was before he met my mother so, in a way, I owe my whole existence to these dogs.”

Besides honored dogs and handlers, about 150 people — some with their own dogs — came out to show their support.

“We just want to pay our respect to the officers and dogs who serve us,” said Corey Dickinson with his dog Clark. “We just wanted to be here for this.”

Lexy Ross, of Port Orange, had her hands full with Lily Lou, a spaniel mix, Marlin, a red-nose pitbull, and Jefferson, a pomeranian with a close-cropped hairdo.

“Of course I love dogs,” she said. “I think it’s great that everyone is out to honor them.”

Volusia County Sheriff Ben Johnson mentioned some of the county’s first working police dogs — including Dixie, whose claim to fame was catching “the naked rapist,” and using her own special tools to ensure he’d never rape again.

Over the years, some of these working dogs have lost their lives to heat exhaustion, gunshot wounds and car crashes, Johnson said.

New Smyrna Beach officer Roy L. Nelson Jr., 36, and his dog, Ceasar, are the only K-9 team to have lost their lives in the line of duty. On Aug. 13, 2005, a car pulled out in front of them, Cmdr. Bill Drossman said.

“Roy Nelson dedicated his heart and soul to being a K-9 handler,” he said. “There is no stronger love and commitment than that of dog and handler. These dogs are warriors and always faithful.”

Conger said before the memorial that he didn’t think to bring flowers to honor his first dog, an orange sable German shepherd named Bodo.

“(Bodo) was already retired — 16 years old — and still training me,” Conger said. “I think I was his last handler and he taught me a lot.”

The best thing about him, Conger said, was his sense of humor.

“Oh, he had a sense of humor,” he said. “We were at Lackland (Air Force Base in Texas) and I put some water down for him in his bowl. He picked up my canteen and I told him to put it down. He picked it up again, and this time when I told him to put it down he tossed it about 15 feet away from me. To me, that’s a sense of humor.”

Dogs of war

The U.S. military has used working dogs since the Revolutionary War when they were used as pack animals.

· Dogs in World War I were used to kill rats in the trenches.

· In World War II more than 10,000 dogs acted as sentries, scouts, messengers and mine detectors.

· Hundreds of dogs serve with U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan as patrol dogs and explosives and drug detectors. Another 2,000 or so provide similar services at U.S. bases and operating posts around the world.

· Before Sept. 11, 2001, security forces trained about 200 dogs a year for the Defense Department, but that number is up to more than 500, with most being trained as sentries and bomb-sniffers.

SOURCE: American Forces Press Service

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Sheriff’s scholarship available

Scott County Sheriff Kevin Studnicka is one of 87 sheriffs across the state promoting the Minnesota Sheriffs’ Association Scholarship Program for 2009.

The association has established a scholarship fund of $9,000 to award 15 scholarships of $600 each this year.

The members of the Minnesota Sheriffs’ Association give special recognition to the financial needs of students attending the mandated peace officers skills course or two- or four-year law enforcement degree school.

Studnicka said the scholarship committee hopes to have representation from all geographical areas of the state in making its selections. Applications will be received until Nov. 1 and the scholarships will be awarded by Dec. 31.

Application forms and a statement of procedures are available at the Scott County Sheriff’s Office in the Scott County Law Enforcement Center, 301 Fuller St., Shakopee. Scholarships are only available to students in one of the four categories: Mandated Skills Program; Two-Year Law Enforcement Program; Vocational-Technical Police Program; and Four-Year College Criminal Justice Course.

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New chief reinstates officers’ promotions

Seven Chula Vista police officers whose controversial promotions were rescinded two months ago have been reinstated to their higher ranks by new Police Chief David Bejarano.

Police Department officials announced the promotions yesterday, and police union president Buddy Magor confirmed that they are the same officers who were elevated in rank in July by former Chief Rick Emerson and demoted by City Manager Jim Sandoval the same week.

At the time, Sandoval said he had given express orders that the new chief should be the one to make promotions and that, as city manager, he had to personally approve any new hires or changes in pay because of budget constraints.

Emerson, who had announced his retirement in April, said he followed protocol in making the promotions. He quit rather than rescind them, and the police union later filed a grievance with the Human Resources Department objecting to the demotions.

Magor said he is pleased with Bejarano’s decision.

“We obviously support his decision,” Magor said. “Our dismay is still with the city manager.”

Sandoval said he also supports Bejarano’s decision.

“I’m happy for all the individuals,” he said. “I’m sure they deserved it. I always thought the new chief should be the one to make decisions on promotions.”

Officers Dan Peak, Martin Bolger and Chris Kelley were promoted to the rank of sergeant. Bartt Benjamin, Brandi Winslow and David Beatty were promoted to detective.

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Policeman deserves applause

A Monterey police officer who went the extra mile deserves special Professor Toro attention this week.According to James Maxon, the city’s park attendant at Veterans Memorial Park, Officer Larry Siville was summoned to the park to check on a young man and his 17-month-old baby, who had been camping in the park’s hiking area off and on for several weeks.

After spending time with the two earlier this month, Siville found the child was clean, well-fed and happy. The father has no job, very little food or money and is living out of a tent.

On the other hand, Siville also found that the man is a devoted father, sober and attentive to his son. Unfortunately, the man is also on probation, he is not eligible for city or county services, and the situation they were living in could not continue for long.

Maxon said the man’s mother had offered to pay the airfare to bring the man and his infant to Ohio, where she could assist in raising the child. But the man was unable to leave the county because of his probation status.

‘Best possible outcome’

“I will never know all that Officer Siville did, but I do know the result,” Maxon said. After working directly with the Monterey County Probation Department on behalf of the man, Siville managed to get the young man’s probation either revoked or transferred, and the man was able to fly back to Ohio with his son.

“Officer Siville responded with humanitarian compassion for a very difficult situation,” Maxon said.

“Officer Siville went beyond just doing his duty to secure the best possible outcome.”At a time when peace officers have often come under harsh criticism for their actions, The Professor is happy to share examples of the quiet and good things police do for people.

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Another Officer Resource Give-Away

Officer Resource is having another great give-a-way.  The beauty of our give-a-ways is that there is no catch and you don’t have to purchase anything.  To enter the give-a-way simply visit our forums and click on the thread titled Give-a-way or follow this link http://officerresource.com/forums/f4/give-way-9-22-09-a-37901/

This month we are giving away two great prizes sponsored by EarphoneGuy.com

Good Luck

AKC names top dogs of the year

The American Kennel Club’s Humane Fund announced the winners of the seventh AKC Humane Fund Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE). To see all the nominees and photos you can check their website.

Two of the winners:

Search and Rescue Dog: Sage owned by Diane Whetsel of Hagerman, N.M.: Sage is a 10 year old Border Collie who is owned, trained and loved by Diane Whetsel, a K-9 officer for the New Mexico Corrections Department. Sage served at the Pentagon in the aftermath of 9/11, went to Aruba in 2005 to search for the missing teen, Natalee Holloway, and in 2007 Sage and Whetsel travelled to Iraq and spent six months searching for missing soldiers.

Law Enforcement Dog: Robin owned by Mary and  Joseph MacQueen of Frewsburg, N.Y.: Robin, a 6-year-old Golden Retriever, and his owner Mary MacQueen work for the Salamanca Police Department, the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office and assist with searches for the Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force in Western New York State. In 2009 alone, Robin has been responsible for getting about half a million dollars worth of dangerous narcotics off the streets.

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R.I.P., K-9 Kimbo

Kimbo, a Belgian Malinois K-9 with the Plantation Police Department, died Wednesday after a search for a robbery suspect triggered heatstroke in the veteran four-legged officer.

Police officials said the 5-year-old dog had been with the department since 2006, and had assisted in 67 arrests and many drug seizures.

An official funeral is not planned, and may not happen unless the dog’s handler wants one, Detective Philip Toman, Plantation police spokesman, said Thursday.

Officials said Kimbo and his handler, Officer Darryl Radziwon, responded Monday to the 3800 block of Commercial Boulevard in Tamarac to help with a Broward Sheriff’s Office search for a robber.

Within minutes, the dog collapsed from an apparent seizure, and was rushed to Hollywood Animal Hospital, police said. For two days he was treated with fluids. He was put to sleep at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.

“It is a devastating experience for me, but I know he left us doing what he loved,” Radziwon said in a prepared statement.

Deputy Police Chief Howard Harrison, who will take over as chief next week, said the dog appeared to be a victim of heatstroke. “Our hearts go out to Officer Radziwon,” he said.

BSO said Thursday that deputies did not find the robbery suspect. But that does not mean Kimbo died in vain.

Kimbo was one of six Plantation police dogs. Harrison said he plans to recruit a replacement. The budget is tight, he said, but “we’ll find a way.”

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