.JPG)
German shepherds are used for patrol, bomb sniff
-ing and crowd control.File Photo
Atlantic City Police Chief John Mooney is gathering statistical information regarding apprehensions using K-9 dogs after Mayor Lorenzo Langford pulled the patrols off of the street.
The mayor is conducting a review in the wake of alleged abuse by dogs during arrests.
The department has 19 K-9 dogs that are trained in patrol, narcotics detection, searching, bomb sniffing and other duties. Some dogs do double duty and they are cross trained in other areas.
Mooney wants the dogs back on patrol and he said Monday that each case of a K-9 apprehension requires an internal review by the department and the case is sent to the county prosecutor's office for review as well.
The department has an antiquated computer system and Mooney said gathering all of the evidence of the arrests will take some time. Two systems need to be crossed checked to gather all of the arrest information and all of the arrests made with K-9s. The systems are nearly 20-years-old and they are not Windows based, according to Mooney.
In the meantime, the chief is concerned about citizen and police officer safety.
"These dogs can do the work of ten officers," said Mooney. "They can track people in a building, they can find people in wider areas and they can track a lost child and Alzheimer's patients," he said.
Several attempts to interview Langford have gone unanswered. The mayor's aide said he would distribute a press release by 5 p.m., however no information came from the mayor's office on Monday.
Mooney said the dogs also gave police another non-fatal tool in combating crime in the city. He added that having dogs means not having to shoot a person who is a critical threat to police or the public.
The chief is planning to attend the Atlantic County K-9 demonstration that will be held at 1 p.m. on Fri. Aug 4, at the Atlantic County K-9 Training Academy in Egg Harbor Township at the Tony Canale Training Center on English Creek Road.
"I am going to be there to show support for the department," said Mooney. :I hear other police chiefs and officials are going to attend as well."
A final decision about the use of the dogs and the police chief's authority to put them back on the street could come later this week from the New Jersey State Attorney General.
For now, the K-9 dogs have an unwanted vacation from work.
Comments
Does anyone care about behind-the-scenes severe abuse of K9's ? Go to www.stoplynching.com - and while there are a few "law enforcement" K9 units that do not hang, kick, electro-shock, etc. their K9's, it should not stop there. It is against the law, and there should be more K9 handlers and "trainers" on trial (look up Sgt. Cockfield, who hanged and kicked his K9 to death in Florida). More K9's are disabled or killed by their handlers than any "suspects" on the street.
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!