Police Department welcomes first K-9

Westminster Police Officer Richard Michel and K-9 Caesar have recently received their certification from the New England State Police Adminstrators Compact. JOURNAL PHOTO/CAITLYN KELLEHER

By Caitlyn Kelleher

JOURNAL REPORTER

The newest member of the Westminster Police Department jumps out of the cruiser ready to complete his task every chance he gets.

Ceaser joined the department at the beginning of the month when he and trainer Officer Richard Michel received their certification from New England State Police Administrators Compact. Caesar, a nearly 2-year-old German Shepherd is certified as patrol dog for tracking and searching.

"This is just one more thing we can offer the community," said Michel, who is Caesar's handler.

Michel said while locating suspects who flee a scene or helping to apprehend a suspect, Caesar will be a great resource for the department when searching for a missing person, especially child or an adult with Alzheimer's Disease.

"We can be on the scene in 10 minutes," Michel said.

Caesar, the Westminster Police Department's K-9, searches the brush for a missing item. His technique can be used to find evidence and is similar to the method he uses to locate a missing person. JOURNAL PHOTO/CAITLYN KELLEHER

In the past the town has relied on the state police K-9 unit or mutual aid from Leominster or Gardner. Police Chief Salvatore Albert said a dog can do the work of about 10 men during a search situation.

Albert said between Leominster State Park, including Crow Hill and the trails on Mount Wachusett, the department responds to at least five or six searches every year. He said the searches are usually at night or in the cold, which makes them more dangerous for everyone.

"I think that (the K-9 unit) will be an asset to our department," Albert said.

The department thinks this is one of the many services they can offer residents.

Caesar is a native of the Czech Republic.

In order to be certified to track and search, Caesar and Michel participated in a 14-week training program, which included 560 hours of training. They have practiced searching in rural or wooded area as well as in urban areas such as Boston, Auburn and Worcester.

"When he is tracking, it is nose to ground," Michel said. "He smells for human scent and crushed vegetation."

Through his training, and based on commands from Michel, Caeser will respond differently when searching for a missing person as opposed to when he is searching for a suspect.

Caesar, whose career is expected to last seven to 10 years, will be dual-purpose dog when he finishes his training.

Michel is planning to take a six-week training class with Caesar so they can be certified as a drug dog. This would teach Caesar to recognize and locate the smell of heroin, cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamines.

Michel said those drugs are the most prevalent in the area and also what most dogs are trained to recognize.

Caesar reports to every shift with Michel and the pair will respond to calls from the department on any shift even if they aren't scheduled. Albert said overtime expenses will be covered through the budget and the department won't be asking for any money to cover it at this time.

Albert said a lot of the fundraising for the K-9 program was done through the Police Association and private donations of money and of the cruiser, which is designed especially for the dog.

"It hasn't cost the taxpayers any money," Michel said.

Bruce Vincent, the owner of Vincent Country Store, has promised to cover the cost of the food for Caesar, Aubuchon Hardware Company has donated much of the material for Caesar's kennel, and Mobile Veterinary Services based in Leominster is providing care for Caesar.

Michel covers many of the other costs for Caesar by himself.

"It's a small price to pay, personally," he said.

Michel believes that every time he is able to reunite a parent with his or her missing child, his belief in the purpose of the dog will be worth it.

Michel said he has wanted to bring a K-9 into the department for a while and offered the option to the other officers before taking on the job himself.

"I've always loved dogs. I've grown up around dogs," he said.

Although he admits caring for the Caesar is different then caring for a dog that is a house pet. Michel has worked with two other dogs before Caesar but neither took to the training in the right way.

Michel said his family has been accepting of both Caesar and Michel's added responsibilities.