The term “drug dog” is simple, snappy and widely used to describe the K-9 units used by law enforcement agencies. Emporia Police Chief Gary Smith says the term isn’t even in his vocabulary.
Tracking drugs and busting those who possess and distribute them is only part of what most K-9 units do, and the city’s new police dog will be doing more than burying its nose in the homes and vehicles of any high-dollar drug lords who might be lurking in east central Kansas.
“Unfortunately, I think the media has always focused, and part of it’s just cause the law enforcement agencies make a big issue of the seizure part of it, the drug stuff,” Smith said. “But a true K-9 unit is really kind of as multipurpose as any other law enforcement function we have.”
Deputy Police Chief Mike Williams said the city had looked at installing a K-9 unit since 2001. After Smith became chief in January, he soon found out that a number of community members had inquired for a long time about why the city didn’t have such a unit. They had offered to someday help fund the costs for one, and as a result, the $15,000 startup cost of the new K-9 program was already raised from local residents and businesses without public advertisement.
“Agencies smaller than us by a considerable size, I think, have dogs, as well as larger,” Smith said. “A community the size of Topeka and Wichita might have a K-9 unit ... and do things considerably different. You might have a three-person department who, one of their patrol officers, quite frankly, (just has) the dog duty. That’s not uncommon.”
The Lyon County Sheriff’s office often allows the city to use the services of its K-9 officer, Deputy Cory Doudican, and his partner, Police Service Dog Tito. But Smith told the city commission at a work session last week that the dog is sometimes fatigued after a long assignment, or the officer has already worked his shift. The Kansas Highway Patrol also has a K-9 unit stationed in Emporia.
Doudican said a police dog is a valuable tool, and it would be very beneficial for the city, the county and the highway patrol to all have their own K-9 units.
“I work (an) eight-hour day, and I like to go home and spend time with my family,” he said. “But I get phone calls all the time to come back out. Now, if we can get multiple dogs out at all times, it’s great.”
Some K-9 units are trained in a highly specialized way to handle one aspect of police work, such as drug interdiction. But the Emporia police’s new K-9 unit will also be trained to track violent felons and missing children and to conduct crowd control.
“I know there’s been many a times where I showed up and there’s been six or seven guys fighting,” Doudican said. “Get the dog out, and it disperses pretty quick. They don’t want to mess with the dog.”
Officer Lance Delgado was chosen from three finalists to be the city’s K-9 officer and will begin his 10-week training course next week in Topeka. Delgado already traveled to Texas with Doudican and Sgt. Kyle Moomau of the Kansas Highway Patrol to help select the city’s new dog. The animal, a 2 1/2-year-old Belgian malinois whose given name is Victor, arrived in Emporia last Friday and will start its 10-week training program Monday.
Williams said Belgian malinois are a typical breed of K-9 dog these days, more so than the German shepherds long associated with police work.
“They seem to be easier to care for. They seem to be easier to train,” he said.
Smith said the department may decide to change Victor’s name depending on what its trainers recommend. The dog will be introduced to the public after it completes its training; Williams said the department hoped to do so around Memorial Day.
The K-9 program is designed to be revenue-neutral. City Manager Matt Zimmerman indicated last week he didn’t expect costs to be a problem, but the city agreed to examine the program again in the future if it looked like it was becoming a budgetary issue.
“I’m sure there’ll be overtime costs associated with this to some degree, as we do with anything we get involved in,” Smith said. “If our traffic officers pull a drunk over 30 minutes before they’re supposed to quit, you’re gonna have that.”
But Smith said the department can always use additional funding, and through the city, the department has set up an account for people interested in making monetary or in-kind donations for the K-9 unit. Monetary donations can be sent to the Emporia Police Department K-9 Fund, 518 Mechanic St., Emporia, KS 66801. Smith said people interested in making in-kind donations should first call the department to see if it needs that particular item.
EsqEB (anonymous) says...
Good news for the city of Emporia and these officers.
March 7, 2008 at 2:17 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
toninj (anonymous) says...
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
March 7, 2008 at 4:28 p.m. ( permalink )
petlover (anonymous) says...
Now that there is a canine to help fight 'against' crime in the city, maybe the city can finally start fighting crimes 'against' canines. For too long this city and county have looked the other way on pet/animal abuse cases, or when brought to court, dropping the charges. Did the gazette/police or anyone ask about information on the person who dumped the pups? No, because everybody knows nothing would be done even if the person was caught. Too bad the new dog can't testify for his own species. If Victor had a choice, he wouldn't feel comfortable working in this town after seeing how his brethern are treated.
March 8, 2008 at 7:27 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dhcc66 (anonymous) says...
hey petlover, i'm totally with you on the way animals are treated around town....but....maybe you should ask who gets to drop the charges.
from what i know, cops don't even get involved in animal cases, just the animal control people.
i would start by asking the court who drops the charges. I doubt the cases are like regular ones where you have a "victim" who can testify on their own behalf, so i would also guess that the "victim" could not vote to drop charges either....unless we have dr doolittle around to translate?
March 8, 2008 at 10:38 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
justthinkin (anonymous) says...
Just wondering what size monetary donation it takes to keep the cops from giving me a ticket?
March 8, 2008 at 5:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )