The Rincon Police Department is training a second K-9, a 5-month-old Belgian Malinois named “Snitch.”
Officer Michael Giaquinto is training the dog, which should be ready to detect narcotics sometime this summer, said Police Chief Phillip Scholl.
The dog also is being trained in apprehension, which takes longer to accomplish. He should begin that task when he’s a year or 1.5 years old, Scholl said.
“We have to be sure he knows to go after the bad guy and not another police officer,” Scholl said.
By getting a puppy and having Giaquinto train it, the cost to the city is minimal, the chief said. He said the city probably spent less than $4,000 to have two dogs working on its force.
Giaquinto previously worked with another Belgian Malinois, Senna (pronounced CEE’-nuh), who has now moved on to work with Rincon Officer Jonathan Simpson.
Senna is trained and Simpson is already trained to handle K-9s. He and Senna are now being trained to work together.
Scholl said it’s unusual for a department of Rincon’s size to have two K-9s. “For the size department we are to have two K-9s is incredible,” he said. “We’re head of the game.”
The dogs help other law enforcement agencies in the area that don’t have dogs of their own or when their dogs are busy.
On another topic, Scholl said the department is readjusting its shifts so that more officers will be on duty during busy hours. He said the change doesn’t involve new positions, and should save the city some money on overtime.