The Christmas shift: One police officer’s day in Portage

Portage Police Officer Pete Bartaczewicz says he doesn’t like to be a Grinch.

By that, he means two things: He’d rather not be on duty at all on Christmas Day, and when he is, he’d rather not be too tough on people who need his help – or who get caught by his radar – as he patrols the streets of Portage on the day shift.

But Bartaczewicz, who just finished his 15th year with the department, said Saturday that working on holidays is part of his profession, and people considering police work as a career needs to know that they’ll probably spend Christmas, now and then, as he spent Christmas on Saturday.

For part of his shift, he was in a squad car, mainly keeping an eye on businesses, residences and public buildings to ensure that nothing was amiss – no doors standing open, no lights on when nobody’s inside.

But a Christmas “ride-along” with Bartaczewicz also entails a “sit-along,” in a Portage Police Department office.

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New York State Police to begin using Tasers

The New York State Police will now be using a less-lethal safety tool that troopers will have available when confronting violent individuals.

State Police recently completed training in the use of Taser Electronic Control Devices and earlier this month troopers began a pilot program with some troopers carrying ECDs during each shift.

This safety equipment consists of 142 Taser model X-26 ECD units obtained through funding from the New York State Trooper Foundation.

Under the pilot program, a few troopers in each patrol area will have an ECD unit to assist other troopers in their area in the event of a violent or escalating confrontation.

Extensive testing and scrutiny, medical experts and independent governmental reports have concluded ECDs are among the safer use-of-force alternatives to subdue violent individuals who could harm law enforcement officers, innocent citizens or themselves.

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DeWitt Police Officers win Fire Rescue Award

Four police officers have received this year’s Fire Rescue Award from the Red Cross, after the arson at Springfield Garden Apartments last January.  Officer Chase Bolodeau spotted the flames while on routine patrol, and after calling in the alarm began evacuating apartments.  Three other officers arrived–Mike Kurgan, Frank Vito and Randy Andrews, to help with the evacuations, and, in part, used one of their SUVs under a window and standing on the roof to get the leverage and height they needed for the rescue.

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Veteran pilot provides eye above Santa Clara County for sheriff’s deputies

Rob Heyde spent more than 10 years working as an engineer for computer giants Hewlett-Packard and Apple. But when manufacturing jobs began moving out of the valley, Heyde’s career path went from high-tech to high in the sky above Silicon Valley.

Heyde, 56, now spends three nights a week hovering above Santa Clara County and providing a bird’s-eye view for cops on the city streets below. Since 2002, Heyde has served as the primary pilot for the Santa Clara County sheriff’s helicopter Star One, patrolling the skies with a sheriff’s deputy from 1,500 feet.

“I never planned on flying for a living,” said Heyde, who earned a pilot’s license while a student at Oregon State University.

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Canine team works high-profile crime cases

Talk about Blue’s Clues.

In a matter of 10 days, a Suffolk police dog named Blue and his handler, Officer John Mallia, successfully discovered abandoned human remains in separate, prominent cases in Suffolk: the four still-unidentified bodies wrapped in burlap and dumped as long as two years ago off Ocean Parkway in Gilgo Beach, and Nicole Tessa, of Patchogue, who was found in the woods near her home.

Whether they’re searching for cadavers or hidden criminals, the duo takes their job seriously, always striving to train and bond and hone their craft.

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Somers Point police welcome K-9 Ozi

City Council appointed another member to the ranks of the Police Department Wednesday, Dec. 22, and this one will be working without a salary.

Ozi (pronounced Ozzie) was appointed to the K-9 Corps of the Somers Point Police Department to work alongside his handler, Officer Richard Dill.

Council President Sean T. McGuigan welcomed Ozi, a German shepherd, to the city at the meeting.

“I’m sure that if his performance is anything half of what our other dog is doing for us, it’s a great addition,” McGuigan said. “I’d like to congratulate Officer Dill in accepting that position and that responsibility. I appreciate it as a councilman as well as a citizen of this city. I look forward to Ozi’s tenure here and I think it’s an excellent addition.”

Police Chief Salvatore Armenia thanked council for the resolution and thanked two individuals who gave large donations making the purchase of a K-9 possible.

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Non-profit group helps fund County K-9 vests

A nonprofit group is donating more than 29 hundred dollars to pay for bulletproof vests for County Police dogs.

New Castle County Pride President Richard Przywara Wednesday announced his group’s giving the money because police dogs are often the first officers whose lives are at risk in dangerous situations.

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Former police dog handler writes book based on experiences Read more: Cherokee Tribune – Former police dog handler writes book based on experiences

Jeff Schettler’s career has been filled with using the nose of man’s best friend to solve some of the country’s most notorious crimes.

Now, Schettler has penned a new book to share with the world how he and a police K-9 worked together to bring criminals to justice.

“Red Dog Rising,” which reads like a crime mystery novel, is Schettler’s memoir of working with Ronin, a bloodhound that was the country’s first full-time police K-9.

It contains accounts of the most interesting cases Schettler has worked, including the hunt for Olympic Park Bomber Eric Rudolph in the Georgia and North Carolina mountains, the Yosemite National Park serial killings and some of the most famous child abduction cases.

Schettler, a retired police K-9 handler who operates Georgia K-9 National Training Center, will be signing copies of his book at 11 a.m. Sat. Jan. 8 at Yawn’s Books & More in downtown Canton.

Read more: Cherokee Tribune – Former police dog handler writes book based on experiences

Sioux County Sheriff’s Office Welcomes New Member

The Sioux County Sheriff’s Department is getting some help from man’s best friend. Neiko is an 18 month old black labrador that will be the second member of the K-9 squad.

“Neiko will be on our K-9 team. He’ll be doing drug detection primarily, and also be able to track. meaning if we have to track a suspect or a missing person, something like that Neiko is also trained in that,” says Sioux County Sheriff Dan Altena.

Neiko’s handler, Deputy Tony Reitsma, is new to the K-9 unit but has wanted to work with the unit for some time.

“This is my first K-9. I’ve done a lot of research before starting and getting Neiko. I did a lot of research in looking at a number of different dogs. So it’s been one of my goals for a number of years,” says Deputy Tony Reitsma.

Training Neiko is a lot of work and differs from how you’d normally train a dog.

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Family saved by state trooper and tow truck driver

A family from Illinois is lucky to be alive after they were saved by a state trooper and a tow truck driver from carbon monoxide poisoning.

The state patrol says the family’s car, carrying 2 women and 3 children was found in a ditch on I-94 near Black River Falls on Sunday. Initially the family was okay, but they fell unconscious later because of carbon monoxide fumes leaking into the cab. After spotting the family was in trouble, State Trooper Craig Larson and a tow truck operator Pat Brauner pulled them out and performed CPR on four of the passengers until everyone was safe.

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