K9 Unit offers doggone good time at Foundation Spaghetti Dinner

The Santa Paula Police K9 Unit showed attendees at the 2nd Annual K9 Retirement Spaghetti Dinner a doggone good time at the April 27 event - honoring longtime crime-fighter Evan - with an array of activities including a lively demonstration by the canine crime-fighters. Evan, who “pawed down” in September, and Sgt. Jimmy Fogata were partnered in September 2002, serving together eight years.

Sponsored by the Santa Paula Police & Fire Foundation, the dinner also provided the crowd that gathered at the Community Center a chance to meet the newest K9 Zak and his partner Officer Larry Johnson. Police Chief Steve MacKinnon introduced the duo, and Johnson, a SPPD officer for about four years, noted Zak has already apprehended several suspects. Johnson said that - as common with K9s and their partners - he and Zak take part in regular training, and Zak has been certified in narcotic detection.

MacKinnon noted that last year K9 Hozy - donated by Hozy’s Grill and partnered with Officer Randy Haumann - was also new last year and unable to take part in a demonstration, not an issue this year. He introduced Sgt. Ryan Smith, whose K9 partner Rex was honored at last year’s retirement dinner, with Jack, Officer John Coffelt’s K9.

The SPPD uses German Shepherd K9s, and “A big portion of our training is not just to bite people.... A big function of our dogs is community service” and public relations, including outreach efforts to children.

Smith said the SPPD K9s are trained in the “play drive,” so when the canine approaches a suspect the action is “just a game, not out of aggression.” Subsequently, dogs with a good disposition are sought and Dave Inglis of Inglis Police Dog Academy trains the K9 to the department’s specifications.

“Hozy and Randy bonded great,” said Smith, who put the two to work to detect narcotics that were planted in the room for the demonstration. “The neat thing about scent work is the dog picks up every single scent in the room individually,” but is able to target any specific scent.

Smith said K9s “can be trained to find anything,” including cell phones hidden by prison inmates, and illegal produce at ports of entry. “My girlfriend,” joked Smith, “has even trained a dog to find me!”

When Hozy signaled that narcotics had been detected he was rewarded with a chew toy made of the same material as an arm sleeve donned by Daniel Inglis, who became the object of a confrontation with Zak. When called off Zak promptly complied.

“There is really no aggression... the dog is happy, its tail is wagging. We can really handle our dogs,” said Smith, and the dogs demonstrated how quickly they can be deployed for action and then recalled.