Wednesday, May 11th, 2016
New dog on the beat
K-9 Peng the newest officer with the Celina Police Department
By William Kincaid
Photo by Mark Pummell/The Daily Standard
The Celina Police Department's newest officer, Peng, a 20-month-old German shepherd brought in from Germany, joined the force April 24. He was partnered with patrolman Gabe Bartlett, left, a nine-year veteran.
CELINA - The police department's newest officer, a pointy-eared, long-tongued K-9, comes from Germany and has taken to the streets to sniff out drugs, track down bad guys, find missing residents and battle crime in Celina.
Peng, a 20-month-old German shepherd, arrived in Celina about three months ago and had his first day on the job April 24 after completing training at the Von Der Haus Gill Canine Academy near Wapakoneta.
Peng was partnered with patrolman Gabe Bartlett, a nine-year veteran of the force, and the two will remain virtually inseparable for the duration of Peng's career in Celina. Peng will replace Ted, who soon will retire to live out his days with his handler, Dan Hartings, who last year was promoted from sergeant to assistant police chief.
On Tuesday afternoon, Peng and Bartlett met with the families of Tom and Betty Leininger and Craig and Kathryn Kennedy, who together own Asset Allocation Associates Inc. in Celina. The families donated more than $11,000 for his purchase.
"Their donation helped accelerate the timetable of getting the dog and necessary equipment to run a K-9 operation," police chief Tom Wale said. "It's vital for us. We absolutely need a K-9 unit with the drug problem."
The K-9 unit also has helped the department locate lost citizens and a few years back saved the life of a woman who wandered away from a nursing home, he said.
"We've searched for lost children. We've searched for lost adults. We've had people walk away from the nursing home and the dog tracked them," Wale said.
Betty Leininger said her husband, Tom, came back from a Celina VFW meeting and told her the department was seeking funds for a new dog to replace Ted. She discussed the matter with her daughter and son-in-law, Kathryn and Craig Kennedy.
"We're doing something for the police department. We're doing something for the kids in the school system," Betty Lein-inger said. "Maybe he can save a life."
Kathryn Kennedy agreed.
"I think if that a dog like this ... can find a child ... I think that is wonderful, and I would want the town I live in to have a dog that could do that for me if my children ever needed it," she said.
Peng was selected by the department because of his friendly temperament. Though he knows when it's time to go after crooks or search out drugs, Peng is extremely well behaved and kind to children, a quality Wale said he was looking for in the search for a new K-9 as the officer often visits schools and attends all major community events.
"When we got him ... one of the things we looked at was his temperament with people," Bartlett said. "He's just a pup. He likes getting his head scratched and likes being a dog."
Indeed he did, as Bartlett yelled out "nein" - German for "no" - when Peng started to dig in grass during a photo shoot. A pair of dogs walking across the street also caught his attention, but he remained steadfast alongside Bartlett, not pouncing on the opportunity to make new friends.
Wale sought out volunteers within the force to partner with Peng. Bartlett was an ideal choice because of his unflagging willingness to respond to calls, Wale said.
"He's got the right attitude," Wale said. "That dog is with him more than anybody in the world. There's so much time that the officer basically donates."
Bartlett is also single, so he'll have lots of time to commit to the dog, including feeding, bathing and grooming.
"He's still new and he's learning," Bartlett said of Peng. "It's going to be a fun challenge and it has been. It's a lot of work. When I'm at home, he's at home. When I'm at work, he's at work."
Peng will be used for several purposes, including drug detection, apprehending and tracking suspects and protecting Bartlett.
"By all intents and purposes, he is another officer for the Celina Police Department," mayor Jeff Hazel said. "He is able to do things that these guys can't do as quickly."
"Whether we're going to do a sweep through the schools, through a business or whether we're just going down hitting on cars that they stop, it's very important for the safety of the officers," Hazel continued.
City officials recently authorized the purchase of a new Chevy Tahoe to use as a new K-9 vehicle. It should arrive in June. Once outfitted with the necessary equipment, the vehicle will cost around $45,000. It will be paid through the additional 0.5 percent income tax approved by voters for police and fire capital purchases and street repairs.
"It's a much healthier vehicle for the dog to get in and out of," Hazel said. "He can stretch out, doesn't have to be in a tight ball all the times. It makes a big difference on just their joints. And because the folks here donated the dog, it allowed us that wiggle room to be able to get the better vehicle."
Photo by Mark Pummell/The Daily Standard
The Celina Police Department's newest officer, Peng, and his partner Gabe Bartlett, meet with two families who donated more than $11,000 for his purchase, from left, Tom and Betty Leininger and Craig and Kathryn Kennedy and their children. The families own Asset Allocation Associates Inc. in Celina. Also shown are mayor Jeff Hazel and police chief Tom Wale.
