Westfield Police Department to acquire new K-9 unit, handler needed
WESTFIELD — With the Westfield Police Department planning on acquiring a new K-9 unit in late summer, four officers currently on the force are competing to become its handler.
'You've got to run with the dogs,' police Capt. Steve Dickinson said on the importance of the unit's next handler being in excellent shape.
To learn if the candidates can meet the physical fitness requirements, they performed the Cooper Test Monday morning at the Roots Athletic Complex. The test is designed to provide a simple way to assess an individual's cardiovascular.
'When the dog is running through the woods during a search, they've got to be able to stay with them the whole time,' Dickinson said about the handler.
The department hasn't had a K-9 unit for several years, but starting in 2000, it acquired Duke, who eventually retired and was replaced by Falco, Mako, and Ares.
That would change when Jerome Pitoniak was named the department's chief in October 2023.
During his interview in front of the Police Commission, Pitoniak, responding to a question about the new initiatives for the department if appointed, acquiring a K-9 unit was one of his goals.
With Pitoniak appointed, police Detective Christopher Coach applied to The Hometown Foundation Inc., a Connecticut-based nonprofit that raises money for animal welfare, providing assistance to individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities, helping those affected major illnesses, providing assistance for military service members and their families, and helping emergency response personnel, which includes providing grants to police departments to acquire K-9 units.
Coach said the foundation donated $14,500 for the purchase of a new unit, a GPS tracking collar, and a bullet- and stab-proof vest.
He wanted to thank the foundation, including Meghan Sullivan.
'She was great to work with. We're grateful for their support,' Coach said.
Coach said one of the reasons the department qualified for the grant was because many of the departments in neighboring towns only have access to State Police K-9 units.
The Southwick Police Department has a K-9 unit, but other towns like Montgomery, Russell, Southampton and Granville don't.
Those units, including Southwick's, are not always immediately available, and time, especially when searching for suspect that has run from the scene of a crime or for an elderly person with dementia that has wandered away from home, becomes important, Dickinson said.
'Those minutes matter,' he said.
How the dog is trained determines what types of roles it will have.
Dickinson said the department is planning on using the unit primarily for searching, but it will also used for narcotics detection and general patrol duty.
The training is provided by the Hampden County Sheriff's Office, Coach said.
It has two certified trainers, and the service is offered at no charge to the city.
The first step, however, is to find the right officer.
That officer will spend a significant amount of time during the training process, which can take months, and then when on duty.
Off duty, the unit usually goes home with its handler.
Read the original article on MassLive.
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