Rabu, 23 April 2014

WSPD makes switch in force by adding K

Ed Ruping/ The Chronicle New dog comes after $4,500 donation from Tuscawilla HOA

There has been a changing of the guard within the Winter Springs Police Department, with one furry, four-legged member giving way to another.


One of the unit's K-9s has been retired from the force, opening up a spot for a newcomer.


'Sachi,' who has been with the department for two years as one of its two K-9s and worked with Cpl. Bob Fugate as a full-service narcotics dog, has been retired from the force.


Although careers for police dogs tend to last longer than Sachi's - many dogs continue working until they reach double digits in age - the canine's career with the force came to an early end as his handlers encountered erratic behaviors that had made him a bit of a liability.


Still, Fugate said he and the rest of the team were very appreciative of Sachi's service and that even with his faults, he was a canine that was good at the job.


'He had a medical issue that we couldn't put our finger on, so to speak. Because of that we had to retire him out,' Fugate said. 'He was very thorough in his narcotic work. ... If there was dope there, he found it.'


Winter Springs Police Chief Kevin Brunelle confirmed Monday that the department is in the process of working out a deal with its vendor, Mid-Florida Working Dogs, LLC., to sell or trade the animal, but nothing has been finalized as of yet.


Any funds procured via a sale would go toward helping to offset the cost of Sachi's replacement, 'Neko,' a German Shepherd who joined the force April 15. He, too, will work with Fugate.


Neko was purchased for $9,500, with $4,500 of that coming by way of a donation from the Tuscawilla Homeowners Association. The acceptance of the donation was confirmed this past week officially by the City Commission, as was the purchase of the new K-9. Brunelle said that the rest of the money for the new animal came from a drug-seizure fund.


Neko will be joining the department's other K-9, Vader, who has been with the force for two years.


Together, the dogs and their roles make up an important tool for the WSPD.


'They're a great, valuable tool,' said Fugate, who has been working with police dogs for more than 13 years. 'A building that might take four or five guys an hour to clear - if we have a dog available [it can be cleared] in half the time with half the people.'


Neko will have some hoops to jump through before he can be approved to ride with Fugate. All new dogs to a department must go through extra training and certification by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and Fugate estimated it will be roughly two months or more before he and the K-9 take to the streets.


And even though members of the team are sad to see Sachi go, they have already taken a liking to Neko and say they are optimistic for the animal's future with the department.


'We like his temperament,' Fugate said. 'He's smart, picking things up real quick.


'We're excited. We're excited about where he's coming from and where he's going.'


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