Sheriff gets first K-9 Officer

A four-legged crime fighter soon will be patrolling Dodge County.

The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office recently acquired Nika, a 10-month-old Belgian Malinois, to be the department’s first K-9 officer.

“It’s something we’ve been looking at basically since I took office,” Sheriff Steve Hespen said. “We’re just excited to see that it’s finally under way.”

Funds for Nika were acquired through a grant obtained by the sheriff’s office and Fremont Police Department.

Hespen said his office used its portion of the funds to purchase Nika from a breeder in New Mexico and pay for start-up fees such as providing housing for the dog and basic equipment.

Deputy Alicia Schafer, who is assigned to Nika, has taken the dog to Omaha for training five days a week for the past three weeks.

“She’s gone really far really quickly considering she’s only

10 months old,” Schafer said.

Schafer, who also works with Nika at home on the weekends, said the hopes are Nika will be fully trained by the end of the year.

Schafer said Nika will finish up her narcotics training next week and also has been working on obedience and patrol work.

“We’re just trying to introduce her to everything and let her get used to me,” Schafer said.

Once trained, Nika will be able to assist the department in several ways, including tracking suspects and missing people.

Another main use for the K-9 officer will be to help search for drugs.

“Everyone is aware of the drug activity that occurs on the interstate,” Hespen said. “With three major highways running through Dodge County, the information is there and we believe major state highways are also

being used to transport narcotics,” Hespen said. “This will be an essential part of honing in on that traffic.”

Nika also would be available to assist other agencies, including Fremont Police and the Nebraska State Patrol, Hespen said.

Schafer, who has been with the sheriff’s office for three years, said she initially was reluctant to volunteer to work with a K-9 officer.

“I kind of thought about it a little longer and I was like, ‘It would be a really great asset to the county and it would be great to have that backup with you 24/7,’” Schafer said. “The quality of what dogs can do, their work and everything, they can help you out.”

Schafer said she also is working to build a relationship with Nika.

“She’s definitely still a puppy and wants to play a lot and get out and run, which is fine … but once we get into the car and she knows we’re going to training she settles down quite a bit because she knows we’re going to work,” Schafer said.

By Brett Ellis

LINK/PICS

Broward County Sheriff gets a full dress Challenger R/T

We like police cars. Seriously. Just not when they’re filling our rearview mirrors, blue-and-reds ablaze. Then, our fanboy status diminishes markedly. In the meantime, however, we get pretty jazzed when a department does something a little different and cool. This week’s example comes from the Broward County Sheriff’s office, which appears to have added a fully-marked Dodge Challenger R/T to its fleet. Decked out in the BSO’s familiar green-and-white livery, the muscular Mopar looks like it means business, ready to take down speeders and bust up meth labs with aplomb. We totally want to see it in person the next time we’re down in South Florida — just under our own, friendly terms.

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Top cops say thanks to East Precinct community

Interim Police Chief John Diaz and Capt. Jim Dermody, commander of the East Precinct, have issued a letter of thanks to the people who live and work in the precinct, thanking them for their support and help after the death of Officer Tim Brenton.

Brenton was shot to death Halloween night as he sat in his patrol car in the Leschi neighborhood.

Police later arrested and charged a 41-year-old Tukwila man in his homicide.

Here’s what they wrote

On Halloween night and in the days that have followed, you have shown your support of the Seattle Police Department, in particular the men and women of the East Precinct, in countless ways.

You visited the vigil site on 29th Avenue, called and sent letters of sympathy and encouragement to the precinct, delivered food, coffee and flowers, offered space for gatherings, followed the media coverage of the investigation, phoned in numerous tips, watched or attended the Space Needle flag raising, procession and memorial service and breathed a collective sigh of relief after the arrest in Tukwila.

As Chief Diaz mentioned several times following Halloween weekend, our Officers continued to provide quality public safety services during very difficult times. They were bolstered by all of your actions, thoughts and kind words.

Something that is mentioned at nearly every community meeting, block-watch gathering and Precinct Advisory Council is the fact that we need your eyes and ears to help keep our community safe. What isn’t mentioned as often is that we also need your support during difficult times. The murder of Officer Tim Brenton was one of those times. You came forward with that support for which “thank you” seems inadequate.

We look forward to continuing our partnership in making the neighborhoods and business districts of the East Precinct safe.

Thank you,

John Diaz
Interim Chief of Police

Captain Jim Dermody
East Precinct Commander

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