Citizens' Group Honors Euclid K9 Officers and Police Handlers Through The Years.

Past and present Euclid K-9s and handlers, including the three current K-9 teams in the front of photo: K-9 Gunnar and Patrolman Dave Trend; K-9 Max and Patrolman Jose Alcantara; and K-9 Rocky and Patrolman Casey Kleckner.  Also pictured are Sargaent Mike Janson, past Handler and current k-9 Unit Leader and Bob Ayers, Euclid Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association member.

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What has four legs and finds people hiding in attics and crawl spaces, recovers hastily tossed guns and discovers narcotics by the pound during routine traffic stops? These are just a few examples of how working dogs have made Euclid safer over the last few years. 

Now a local citizens group is recognizing Euclid’s K9 officers and their police officer handlers past and present for their efforts. On January 14, in a private ceremony, The Citizen’s Police Academy Alumni Association presented a plaque to the Euclid Police Department honoring the eighteen K9 officers and handlers who have served the city since 1974, when Heidi, a German Shepherd, became the city’s first K9. 

Mike Janson, Euclid Police Sergeant and supervisor for the K9 Unit, said, “Being a K9 handler is a tremendous commitment for the officer and their family. The dog and handler need to bond, select a trainer and participate in ongoing training. It’s a ton of hard work.”

Janson said, “To me it’s the most rewarding and frustrating part of law enforcement because they are animals. I wish we could talk to each other. They are pretty darn smart. You usually have to trust the instincts and training of the dog.”

He added that the dogs’ sense of smell is 1,000 times stronger than that of humans. Which means they can track, recover evidence and generally make the environment safer for the officers they work with.  

Bob Ayers, a Euclid Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association member who led the effort to honor the working dogs said, “These dogs work hard and their reward is that they get to play with their favorite toy or have a treat after a job well done. This is a way to recognize the dogs and their handlers for their work.”

While researching the plaque to honor Euclid’s working dogs, Ayers talked to current and retired police and spent time with the Euclid Historical Society. He discovered that the small storefront on East 200th St., that houses his family’s business, Decker Appliance, once was the city jail, temporary police department and court house.   

The Citizens Police Academy is an 11 week course open to Euclid residents that provides an up close look at police work.  The academy helps residents better understand how the police work in the community. It also fosters closer relationships across the community and among neighbors.

The Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association is a non-profit organization of people who have completed the course.  They support Euclid Police in many ways. In September the group coordinated the purchase and training of Euclid’s third K9 officer, a Belgian Malinois - German Shepherd mix named Rocky. An anonymous donor made the purchase of Rocky possible.