A Different Viewpoint of Law Enforcement Comes From the End of a Leash

The use of dogs in law enforcement traces to Ghent, Belgium where a shortage of police officers led officials to put dogs into service.

The West Chester Police Department K-9 Unit began in 1993 understanding that a well-trained officer paired with a well-trained K-9 was a force multiplier and enhanced the department’s abilities to track individuals and sniff out drugs or bombs.

West Chester Police has benefited from the service of 15 canines during the past 30 years. It all began with Franco and Spoc. Now, Rico and Max are at the end of the lead with their partners Adam Roth and Mike Veeneman.

The approved complement of the K-9 Unit in West Chester is three officers and three canines, but it has been several years since the Department has filled all three positions. It costs about $30,000.00 for a police dog and training. Various grants have offset these costs in recent years.

West Chester’s canines train primarily to sniff out drugs and track suspects, but can also sniff out missing people or objects. Partnering agencies within Butler County have dogs with other skills and together the K-9s and officers train to provide support.

“Being part of the K-9 Unit was always something I wanted to do as part of my career,” said Roth. A 17-year veteran of the West Chester Police Department, Roth enjoys the unique challenge and he worked toward being a part of the K-9 Unit.

Veeneman is a 22-year veteran of the Department and this new challenge changed “things” up for him.

“It’s just really cool watching them (the dogs) work and learning to understand them,” Veeneman said. “For me, it made the job I’ve been doing for years interesting in a new way. Max can’t wait to go to work every day. When he sees me get ready for work, he’s ready to get out the door.”

West Chester’s two canines could not be more different. Rico, a 7-year-old Belgian Malinois, is Mr. Calm, Cool, and Collected. Max, a 4-year-old Dutch Shepherd, is all energy and enthusiasm.

While polar opposites in personality, each dog is meticulously trained for their mission and are effective law enforcement partners. They each have been successful in apprehension and/or tracking suspects and locating narcotics.

The legalization of marijuana raises some questions in the training of the police K-9s. This is an issue West Chester and other agencies will continue to study and consider. Regardless, the K-9s work in sniffing out illegal drugs and suspects remains valuable.

“Sometimes it can be frustrating. They (the dogs) cannot tell you what’s on their minds. You have to learn to read them,” Veeneman said. “At the end of the day, the dog is usually going to be right and you have to trust them.” Working with the four-legged officers can be a bit like a puzzle with the officer trying to understand what the dog needs from them in order to be successful.

Rico and Max go home with their handlers at the end of their shift each day and they take part in demonstrations as ambassadors for the Police Department. Each are well mannered and approachable. When on a mission, they are focused and driven. The reward is a “good boy” and a toss of a toy.