6 minute read
Canines On Patrol
WRITTEN BY KELLY SEKULOVSKI
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SOUTHERN VINTAGE PHOTOGRAPHY
Police officers are devoted to protecting and serving the community and this statement is no different for it’s K9 Officers. K9 Officers are specially trained to assist police departments in multiple facets. K9 officers everywhere have become important members of police departments and are embraced by the department just like any human officer.
K9 officers undergo extensive training to be ready to patrol the streets with their handlers. This starts when they are puppies. They are evaluated as puppies to determine if they have the physical traits and personality traits needed to be a K9 officer. After that initial evaluation the extensive training begins, imprinting them on specific odors and learning apprehension skills through games that are seen as “fun” for puppies. According to Patrol Officer Kristine Johnson of the Goose Creek Police Department, “Police dogs will spend months imprinting on various odors depending on their line of work, whether it be narcotics, cadavers or elements of explosives. After that they then continue to train into a final alert varying from a passive sit to an active scratch.” Once they pass their initial training then it is their handler’s turn to learn. The K9s learn alongside their handler to make sure that the pair are in sync, that there is a mutual respect between them and that they are ready for any situation that comes their way.
This training does not end after the K9s start officially working for the police department. Once the foundation has been built there is constant drill and practice undergone throughout the life of the K9. Officer Johnson and her K9 Gracie undergo 10 hours of training with the rest of the Goose Creek K9 unit every Tuesday to make sure that the K9’s skills are still being exercised and to make sure they are in tip top shape to help their fellow officers in the field.
The responsibilities of K9 officers vary from department to department but most commonly they are used for narcotics & explosives detection, patrol assistance and search/ apprehension operations. K9s are called in to sniff out drugs and explosives during searches, used to assist officers when tracking criminals by tracking their scent and help subdue criminals once they are located. These police K9s demand respect on scene, helping officers even just with their intimidating presence. K9 Officers are a key asset to their departments.
The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office has a very successful K9 unit consisting of nine K9 deputies and nine K9s. Fans of the A&E Channel’s show “Live PD” will recognize the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office from season 4 which aired on November 19th. Included in the officers featured on the show are K9 Officers Fox and Dixie, who are trained in scent detection and apprehension. Fox, a 5 year old Sable German Shepherd, even has a twitter page with over 1,000 followers!
Dixie, a 4 ½ year old German Shepherd, has been with her handler Corporal Julio Santos, for almost 3 years. “Working dogs is my passion and is what I aspired to do when I first became a police officer in 2014,” said Corporal Santos. Dixie is Corporal Santos’s 3rd K9 partner. The first K9 did not make it through the training program and his second partner passed away from medical issues. “Dixie was donated by K2 kennels during Christmas time and they gave me her in a nice red bow.”
One of Corporal Santos’s favorite arrests made with Dixie was, “Dixie tracked and apprehended a subject who had kidnapped and stabbed a female on the north end of the county. He then fled on foot into the woods and Canine Dixie tracked him and apprehended him as he resisted arrest.”
K9 Officer Dixie can been seen on A&E’s Live PD as well as on patrol in Berkeley County with her handler Corporal Julio Santos.
Dixie demonstrates the “apprehension” of a suspect.
The Goose Creek Police Department also employs K9 officers and believes that these officers are integral parts in their success, which includes K9 Officer Rizen and K9 Officer Gracie.
Rizen, a 3 year old male Belgium Shepherd Mix, was named after the “Goose Creek Rising” social media campaign (#CreekRising), paying homage to the rising popularity and achievements of the city of Goose Creek. Rizen alongside his handler Patrol Officer Hunter Carter help to keep the city of Goose Creek safe.
K9 Officer Rizen is named after the social media campaign #CreekRising
Gracie, a 6 year old female Dutch Shepherd, comes from humble beginnings. She was previously employed by another police department where her handler was charged with various violations. Gracie was down from 77 pounds to 55 pounds due to being mistreated and after another failed attempt with a handler in her previous department she was released to an animal rescue. Luckily, this animal rescue is one that Goose Creek Police Chief L.J. Roscoe had connections to from her previous department in Georgia. Upon receiving a call from the rescue that the dog was previously working as a police K9, Chief Roscoe drove to the rescue and did a routine narcotics exercise with Gracie to see if she could still utilize her previous training. Gracie immediately fell back into her training and passed the test with flying colors.
Gracie officially started her career on patrol on July 22, 2019, alongside her handler Patrol Officer Kristine Johnson. Officer Johnson has been with the Goose Creek Police Department since September of 2017. Having grown up an animal lover, Officer Johnson earned her degree in Animal Science at Washington State University where she fell in love with working K9’s while studying them extensively. After graduating and working in a veterinary practice she moved to South Carolina where she began her law enforcement career with one ultimate goal: to be a K9 Handler. After persistently tagging along with the K9 Unit even on days she was not on duty, Chief Roscoe told Officer Johnson about Gracie. “I knew I could make a difference when I was told about her condition and rehabilitation required,” said Officer Johnson. “It was a special moment when all of my training and experiences lined me up for when the Chief told me “I think Gracie needs us as much as we need her.” Since that day, the two have formed an inseperable bond. Officer Johnson helped Gracie heal and regain her strength and confidence and Gracie helped Officer Johnson achieve her lifelong dream of being a K9 Handler.
K9 Officer Gracie was rescued from a local dog rescue by the Goose Creek Police Department.
When asked about arrests that Gracie has assisted with, Officer Johnson said, “After stopping a car and observing criminal indicators, I was able to utilize K9 Gracie to conduct a free air sniff on the vehicle. The resulting arrest included narcotic trafficking charges. Gracie’s positive alert gave me the confidence (and probable cause) to pursue indicators I was picking up on already.”
Officer Johnson giving Gracie her favorite reward, play time!
Police officers that have worked with K9 Officers explain best the loyalty and unwavering support that their animal partners provide them. “Not a moment passes in my life now where Gracie doesn’t have watchful eyes on me,” said Officer Johnson. “No matter where I am, Gracie has my six and isn’t afraid to let everyone know about it. I wish I could have a dollar for every time I’ve seen a wide-eyed person watching my snarling patrol car bounce up and down while Gracie tells the neighborhood that backup is already on scene with me.”■
In March of 2020, K9 Officer Kron retired from the Goose Creek Police Department. “He’s got a few health issues and we want to allow him enjoy the rest of his life, pain free-- as pain free as possible,” said Goose Creek Police Chief, LJ Roscoe, before giving Kron’s handler a retirement plaque for the K-9. “We obviously view Kron as a huge asset and we are definitely going to miss him.”
“Me and Kron have been together for a really long time; a lot of bad, a lot of good,” said Officer Alexander Erickson, a Goose Creek Officer and Kron’s handler. “I have attributed where I have gotten in my career because of him.” Kron will live out his retirement with Officer Erickson and his family as they formally adopted Kron.
K9 Officer Fox, who is a fan favorite on A&E’s Live PD with her handler Corporal Tyler Clark.
Fox demostrates how to take down a suspect!
Prima, the bloodhound is a search and rescue dog for the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office and is handled by Lieutenant Peters
Officer Carter with Rizen and Officer Johnson with Gracie
