Sarnia’s first police dog in about three decades, the 15-month-old German Shepherd originally from Slovenia, was introduced to the public at the city’s police station Tuesday.
Meet Vader.
Sarnia’s first police dog in about three decades, the 15-month-old German Shepherd originally from Slovenia, was introduced to the public at the city’s police station Tuesday.
Advertisement 2
Article content
Article content
Benny Canie, who turns seven Sunday, was the winner of a dog-naming contest for kids who drew about 220 entries — and another 300 or so from adults who didn’t read the contest rules, police chief Derek Davis said with a laugh.
The name pitched by the Star Wars-loving, Holy Trinity Catholic elementary schooler, who got a plaque and other goodies for his win, aligned with what Const. Shawn Urban, Vader’s handler, already had in mind.
“So when I saw Benny picked it too, I’m like, ‘That’s the name,’” Urban said.
From the Dutch word meaning father, and connoting strength, power and loyalty, the name is a good fit for the patriarch of the service’s canine program, said Insp. Mike Van Sickle, noting it’s taken nearly two years of work to launch the program after public input and verifying a local need.
Advertisement 3
Article content
Previous efforts to create a police dog program in Sarnia failed, he said, crediting support from police brass for finally making it happen.
He and Urban recently traveled to Pennsylvania to get Vader, he said.
After meeting the public Tuesday, Vader and Urban headed to Windsor for 15 weeks of training from police there, including teaching Vader how to search for narcotics and other items, and how to hold onto and apprehend suspects, Urban said.
Up-front costs include $10,000 for the dog, and about $100,000 for a cruiser retrofitted with a kennel, plus training and other expenses, Davis said.
It’s hoped Vader will serve eight to 10 years before retiring to regular dog life, he said.
“Those expenses amortized out over that time are actually not that high,” Davis said. “(And) when the dogs are successful, they save a tremendous amount of time and treasure for investigations, for missing people.”
Advertisement 4
Article content
The Sarnia service, which relied on OPP dog teams’ help in the past, tracked about 100 instances last year when officers could have used a police dog, he said.
But only about a dozen requests for dog support were made to the OPP in that span, Van Sickle said recentlybecause of availability and timing issues.
The OPP have been very supportive, he added. “But this is going to give us an in-house resource.”
When Vader is trained and ready to deploy in mid-August, Davis predicted, “We’ll actually see the dog deployed more, in cases where we probably wouldn’t have bothered in the past.”
Uses include tracking missing persons, suspects or items, de-escalating situations and clearing buildings, he said.
“The dog is a highly trained, specialized piece of equipment that introduces capabilities to a police organization that we otherwise would not have,” he said.
Advertisement 5
Article content
For Urban, the new partnership means a major change.
“It’s like having a newborn baby at home,” he said, noting he had to build an outdoor kennel and fenced in his yard at home.
“You don’t pet him,” he said. “You don’t take him for normal walks. He won’t sit on my couch and watch Netflix with my family. . . I’m the one who handles him. Me alone.”
His family is supportive and his kids are older, he said.
Ongoing weekly training in Windsor is also expected, said the 25-year force veteran who said he’s used to getting up in the middle of the night as part of the local emergency response team.
He’s been a cover officer for OPP dogs in searches in Sarnia in the past, he added.
“I always wanted to be the guy on the leash, not the guy standing to the side. . . and now I get the opportunity,” he said. “I (couldn’t) be more excited.”
Article content