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| Pima takes a bite out of crime |
| By eacourier.com - Jon Johnson |
| Published: 08/10/2011 |
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Criminals in Pima beware! The Pima Police Department's newest officer's bite is worse than his bark. At its Aug. 2 meeting, the Pima Town Council unanimously voted to initiate a canine program for the PPD. Pima Chief Dianne Cauthen addressed the council and recommended reinstating a canine program for her department. She said the program would assist the police in Pima and the rest of the Gila Valley in crime-fighting efforts. The department already has a dog, Rico, that is owned by Pima Police officer Brian Ellsworth. Rico and Ellsworth worked together for the Arizona Department of Corrections until Rico's retirement. Ellsworth will remain as Rico's handler for his service in Pima and said he believes the dog has a few more good years of work in him. Rico is trained not only as a drug detection dog for cocaine, cannabis, heroin and crystal methamphetamine, but also as a backup officer who will attack anyone who poses a threat to his handler. This is especially beneficial to Pima officers because they frequently handle situations by themselves without another officer to back them up. "(He) provides great officer safety (and) great safety for the citizens," Ellsworth said. "It's a great show of force. A lot of people see dogs, and they're intimidated by them. They don't want to cause any further issues." Ellsworth also described Rico's worth in situations where a suspect is holed up inside a residence. He said Rico would be more effective than three human officers at entering the residence and finding the suspect. Those who do not comply with officers' commands to surrender would be given a warning that Rico will be set loose on them and that he would bite them if they continued to refuse to comply. Read More. |
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