K-9 Unit
Anyone wishing to contact the K-9 Unit may email or call 716.439.6740 for support services.
Canine Officer: Steven Ritchie.
Links:
Lockport Police K-9 Unit History
In 1992, Captain John Cross began researching police canines
and arranged a demonstration for the Lockport Common Council
and the Police Board. Impressed with the presentation the Council
and Police Board, under the direction of Chief Henry Newman,
created the Canine Division. Officer Douglas Wallace was appointed
the department's first handler. His German Shepherd partner,
"Arko" was purchased and imported from the Europe
and Officer Wallace and he trained for 13 weeks with the Onondaga
Sheriff's Department, located just outside of Syracuse, New
York. They earned a certification in Patrol, Tracking and Narcotic
Detection.
In
1996 a work related injury suffered by Officer Wallace, forced
him into retirement. The K-9 Unit was temporarily suspended.
The Police Board and Chief Newman did not want to see the program
end. In 1997 Chief Newman assigned Officer Steven Ritchie to
the K-9 Division. Officer Ritchie's canine partner, "Blesk"
was purchased from a vender in the Czech Republic. Officer Ritchie
and Blesk also received their training in Syracuse and were
certified by Criminal Justice Services.
In
February of 2003, Officer Ritchie and Detective Captain Lawrence
Eggert were involved in an ambush shootout with a man armed
with an AK-47. Officer Ritchie and Captain Eggert sustained
life-threatening injuries. Miraculously, Blesk was unharmed
during the volley of shots. Captain Eggert returned to work
after several months of rehab. Officer Ritchie required a year
and a half of recovery time. During this period the K-9 Program
was suspended.
The
K-9 Unit continues today under the direction of Chief Neil Merritt
and Captain Ronald Vogt of Support Services.
In
November of 2004, The Niagara Regional Police Services generously
donated a fully trained patrol dog named Sabre to the Lockport
Police Department. With the acquisition of Sabre, Blesk was
retired and now resides as a family dog with Officer Ritchie.
K9 Sabre and Officer Ritchie were certified by the N.R.P.S.
as a K9 Team following a two-week certification course.
Service
Provided by the K-9 Unit
The K-9 unit supplements the patrol division and works
during the high crime hours of 7:00 PM to 3:00 AM. They are
also subject to call-in as needed. They are utilized in any
situation in which a police dog may be required, including burglaries,
robberies, fights, assault; drug searches and warrant executions.
They also assist various area police agencies in need of a police
dog through mutual aid. Without the trust and faith of the department's
patrol officers, the K-9 Unit would not be able to achieve success.
Their efforts to preserve a crime scene makes the K-9 Team's
job much easier.
The K-9 Division also utilizes a Scent Transfer Unit developed
by the late William Tolhurst, V.S.M. The unit enables scent evidence to be collected and used
for trailing and identification by canines.
The department on several occasions has used the unit successfully.
On one occasion following a burglary to a local club, a police
dog, using the scent pad made from a pick ax, tracked the suspects
to their home where money and stolen property were recovered.
A
program was begun in 2002 where the K-9 Unit will be assisting
the Lockport School System in conducting more frequent
locker, classroom and parking lot searches of schools.
This is a co-operative effort by Chief Neil Merritt and
School Supervisor Dr. Bruce Frasier to keep our school
children safe from drugs and the violence that can accompany
them.
K-9
Unit Success "Tails"
- Arko and Officer Wallace's first night on patrol saw the
apprehension of two suspects from a stolen car following
a car chase.
- Two "Grinches" burglarize a family's home on Christmas
Eve, stealing the presents from under the Christmas tree.
Arko tracks the suspects to a nearby home where they are
located unwrapping presents and hooking up a television
stolen in the burglary.
- Arko
tracks a man who had fled from a car with a stolen radar
detector, finding him hiding on a nearby garage roof.
- A
man attempts to force his way into an elderly woman's home
in the early morning hours. As police arrive the suspect
flees into a backfield. Officers establish a perimeter and
Blesk tracks the suspect into the field, locating him hiding
in tall brush.
- In
the late night hours a man forces his girlfriend and her
young daughter at knifepoint into a car forcing her to drive
him throughout Niagara County. When the suspect stopped
to relieve himself, the young daughter flees. The suspect
forces the woman to drive away, leaving the young girl alone
on a country road. The suspect is dropped off at his home.
When police arrive to arrest the suspect, he flees through
a back window. Blesk apprehends the suspect as he jumps
a neighbor's fence.
- A man suspected of raping
his ex-girlfriend jumps from
the second
story
window of his home and flees through a cemetery. Officers
lost the suspect after giving chase. Blesk tracks the suspect
to a wooded area and locates him hiding under a tree.
- While
assisting the Niagara County Drug Task force in conducting
a vehicle search, Blesk locates a large quantity of crack
cocaine concealed in a hidden compartment.
K-9 Training
K-9 Teams receive 13 weeks of training in the areas of obedience,
agility, tracking, building searches, area searches, criminal
apprehension, drug detection (Marijuana, cocaine, heroin, meth.),
officer protection and article searches. They are also required
to train a minimum of two days a month to maintain their proficiency.
The K-9 Unit trains with the Niagara Regional Police Service
(NRPS) in Canada, under the direction of Sgt. Jeffrey Hopkins.
The NRPS has trained police service dogs for departments from
both Canada and the United States.
The
training received by the NRPS is superior to any other training
available in the area. The training allows the Team to prepare
for a variety of situations that may occur while on duty. Officer
Ritchie and Blesk are certified twice a year with the NRPS.
The K-9 Unit also trains with several other departments including,
Amherst Police, Niagara Falls Police, Erie County Sheriff's,
Orchard Park Police and Cheektowaga Police, among a few.
The
K-9 Unit also performs demonstrations to area schools and civic
groups. Its Pup Patrol program utilizes the police dog to educate
children on safety issues and shows them how a Police Canine
Team performs their job. It utilizes coloring books designed
by Officer Ritchie and handout materials like stickers, pencils,
crayons and rulers donated by the Hickory Club PBA and The Lockport
Elks Club.
Articles
The following articles have been published by members and former
members of the Niagara Regional Police Service's Canine Unit.
To view any of these articles, click on any of the following
links:
For more information about the Niagara Regional Police Canine
Unit click on their link at the top of this page.
Requests
for trading cards can be made by sending a self-addressed
stamped envelope to:
Lockport Police K-9
One Locks Plaza
Lockport, NY 14094
