Wheeling police officers nabbed a suspect about an hour after he allegedly attempted to rob a pharmacy on National Road Tuesday, but Cpl. Rick Roxby knows there are a couple others who deserve some credit for the arrest.
They just happen to walk on four legs and might drool a little every now and then.
Roxby, who was on scene with his dog Dux (pronounced "dukes"), said the department's canines were crucial in bringing the search for 29-year-old Joshua David Kenny, who is accused of demanding pills from the Medicine Shoppe, to a swift conclusion.
Article Photos
Photo by Ian Hicks
Wheeling police Officer Doug Howell interacts
with the department’s newest canine, 18-month-old Bella, during a training exercise Thursday at Tunnel Green.
"It was huge. ... We pretty much knew where the suspect was hiding," said Roxby. "The dogs helped us flush him out."
On Thursday, the police department's K-9 officers - Roxby and officers Sara Dent, Bryan Hails and Doug Howell and their German shepherd partners joined their counterparts at the Ohio County Sheriff's Department, Sgt. Timothy Gessler and Deputy Kent Lewis, for training exercises at Tunnel Green in East Wheeling.
Participating in the exercises was the department's newest canine, 18-month-old Bella, which brings the number of dogs in the department to four.
Roxby said all city K-9 units participate in two days of training per month, in accordance with United States Police Canine Association recommendations - a standard issued after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1989 that municipalities can be held liable for damages caused by inadequate training.
The training included basic obedience commands, as well as practice on sniffing out narcotics in vehicle and building searches.
Roxby said the dogs' most important function is serving as backup on potentially dangerous calls, often preventing other units from being pulled from their beats.
According to Dent, who is paired with 5-year-old Apollo, if a suspect knows a canine is present, it often leads them to surrender when they otherwise might attempt to run.
"Nobody wants to mess with the dog," she said.
The recent bout of stifling heat that has swept over the Ohio Valley presents a challenge in keeping the dogs cool. Roxby said one day last week, the temperature inside the vehicle was 113 degrees.
"It's a concern," said Roxby, noting officers keep jugs of water inside the vehicles for the dogs and there are fans which automatically kick on when the temperature reaches a certain level. "That's our partner. It's our responsibility to go check on them."
Officer Bryan Hails said being partnered with 5-year-old Hyco has given him more of a chance to interact with the public.
"People and kids will approach you wanting to see the dogs," he said.