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Pocono News Section
New 4-Legged Crimefighter in Luzerne County
New 4-Legged Crimefighter in Luzerne County - Monday, August 25, 2008 at 4:00PM EST
Reported by: Andy Mehalshick
Monday, Aug 25, 2008 @ 04:00pm EST
SWOYERSVILLE, LUZERNE COUNTY- There's a new cop on the beat in one community and he's a no nonsense police officer. In fact this canine cop is making history.
This officer has four legs and it’s a good bet, the bad guys can’t run away from him. Swoyersville now has its first-ever K-9 officer, and the criminals are being put on notice, this officer is ready to enforce the law.
Meet the newest member of the Swoyervsille Police Department, “Gas.” The four-legged is a 17-month-old German Shepard, and he’s the first K-9 to work the beat in Swoyersville.
His partner is Officer Ethan Wenzel. "Us as officers can only do so much narcotics detection. A K-9 Unit, his nose is remarkable. He'll detect stuff aid with searches, take us right to what we need to find," said Wenzel.
He was brought here from Slovakia and cost about $14,000 to train. He and Wenzel are a team in every sense of the word. "We're pretty close. Gas and I have been together now for 3 months. From the day I got him he did a 180 degree change. He would do anything for me, I would do anything for him," he said.
Police Chief Tom DiMaria says crime helped bring Gas here. "Over the past several months we’ve seen a serious increase in drug arrests,” he said.
Business owners like Jim Keller, who is also the Mayor of Luzerne Borough, made donations to help pay the costs for “Gas.” "With drugs the way they are in the area we have major problem with them. Having our own drug dog helps in combating the problem," he said.
Local veterinarian Dr. Inyet Kathio of Pittston is providing care for "Gas" free of charge. Much of the cost for "Gas" came from drug raids where cash and property were seized. | | |
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