| APD K-9 Patrol Newsletter |
| DECEMBER 2005 |
| Volume 2, Number 12 |
| K-9 Patrol News |
| Officer Rich Forbes is transferring as a handler from K-9 Patrol to be an instructor at the Police Training Academy on December 12th. Office Forbes was a canine handler for six years while working with Aztek, and he was a tremendous asset to the Unit with his assistance in dog training. No one could wear a bite suit and take as many hits from the dogs for as long as he could. We know he will excel in his new role as an instructor and wish him the absolute best. |
| Officer Mark Ferris's K-9 partner, Kozmo, has developed problems with his liver and very recently has undergone a major surgery to try to correct it. Kozmo is going to recuperate the next four to six weeks, and then he will be assessed to see if he can continue his police work or will retire. Kozmo, at nine years, is the oldest canine in the Unit. |
| Arrest Highlights |
| Arrests made in the month of November include: |
| Officer Davenport & Ammo assisted the SWAT team on a suspected suicidal suspect that was firing gunshots inside her residence. The female suspect was armed and a danger to herself, the officers on-scene, and the citizens that live in the area. With Ammo's help, the suspect was taken into custody with no shots fired by police, avoiding a deadly force encounter. |
| Officer Mierl & Chase located another window peeper this month! This time a teenage suspect was caught in his neighbor's backyard with only his gym shorts on. He fled on foot from police when they arrived. Officer Mierl arrived with Chase and began a search of the area. Chase quickly located the suspect hiding behind a trashcan in a nearby backyard. The suspect's parents were notified of his actions and he was taken to Gardner-Betts Detentions Center for evading police. |
| Training |
| Narcotics detection training is still progressing slowly. With Kozmo recuperating from major surgery, Draco remains the last police K-9 still training. Officer Lahr and Draco are currently training to search for marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamines. They are learning to search large buildings and vehicles for various lengths of time. Draco must also learn to ignore the many other odors he may encounter on searches that are NOT drugs. |
| Community |
| A big thank you goes out to Patrice Palmer of Austin Animal Art. Patrice is a local artist who has done a spectacular job of sketching Draco, Officer Lahr's partner, from a photograph she took of the German Shepherd while he was staring at his handler who was holding his favorite toy. In the picture, notice that the collar has Draco written on it and the police badge is Officer Lahr's unit radio number, K97. |
| Draco's Sketch |
| Visit www.k9crimefighters.com/k9draco for a look at his unique portrait and the photos Patrice took, and learn more about Patrice and her incredible art at www.austinanimalart.com. You can submit your own photograph of your favorite animal for a chance to win a free sketch every month! |
| And yet another thank you goes to Patrice for offering to contribute 10% of the proceeds for her art to K-9 Crime Fighters, which supports the K-9 Unit. |
| Paul Ortner of Visual Excellence, Inc., who designed the K-9 Crime Fighters' original T-shirt, has helped us with a new shirt using Patrice's sketch of Draco in a natural (cream) color. We have sizes available from S to XL for $12 each (see the T-shirts at www.k9crimefighters.com/tshirt-draco01.jpg). Arrangements can be made to deliver them locally or a shirt can be mailed for an additional shipping charge of $3.00 to anywhere in the continental U.S. Anyone wishing to purchase a shirt or wanting more information, please contact info@k9crimefighters.com. |
| Milk Bone Police Dog Donation |
| Once again, Milk Bone & HEB have teamed up to present the Austin Police Department K-9 Patrol Unit with another $5,000 for a new police dog. In October 2004, they made a similar donation towards the purchase of Vuk, Officer Eveleth's police canine. There was a ceremony at the H.E.B. at 1000 E. 41st Street in the Hancock, and K-9 Patrol performed a quick police dog demonstration. The Milk Bone Police Dog (MBPD) program is where Milk Bone teams up with local grocery stores or retail chains to sponsor the purchase of new police dogs for local law enforcement agencies or airport security organizations. In the last seven years, MBPD has donated over 269 new canines across the United States. |
| Upcoming |
| - New handler selection board |
| - New patrol dog will be selected and tested in early 2006 |
| - Annual Patrol Dog Certifications in February 2006, including Officer Eveleth and Vuk |
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| K-9 Protective Vests While APD’s K-9 Patrol dogs are clearly working in dangerous situations (as are their handlers), they don’t wear bulletproof and stab-proof canine protective vests. Dog-loving non-profits, schoolchildren, and the public seem to like the idea of donating these vests to help protect the dogs, but the vests are heavy, cumbersome, and prevent a dog from easily wearing a tracking harness. Patrol K-9 dogs need to be flexible and highly mobile in the type of search and apprehension work they perform. What has happened in the past is that several police dogs have collapsed from heat exhaustion while wearing the vests. Taking into account that there has only been one canine injury resulting from a weapon (both K-9 and handler were shot and both survived in 1986), a decision was made to have the police dogs work without protective vests. More danger to their health was anticipated wearing the vests because of heat exhaustion than not wearing one and being hurt with a weapon. Should a lighter, more flexible vest be designed, the policy may be updated. |
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| APD K-9 PATROL INFORMATION CONTACT: Officer DJ Lahr darrin.lahr@ci.austin.tx.us EDITOR: Rose Kaminski rose@k9crimefighters.com WE’RE ON THE WEB! For more information: www.k9crimefighters.com |
| Last updated December 22, 2005 |
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