It’s all business for Gunner, mostly
Before the SWAT training on Wednesday, police dog Gunner was not shy about giving out smooches to his owner and other officers. But when his bulletproof vest was put on, it was all business.
Using canines on the SWAT team is new for the department, said Officer Kenny Sowles, one of two handlers and a member of the team. The other dog is Fasko, who is handled by Officer Kristopher Gibson.
Sowles said the department is hoping to one day have four dogs, which would provide 24-hour canine service to the city.
Also new to the canine unit are protective gadgets like the bulletproof vest that also can be clipped to the handler’s to repel from a helicopter to be transported to different locations. Gunner also sported an infrared beacon attached to his collar – that way, Sowles can spot Gunner with his own night vision monocular during nighttime missions.
The dogs and their handlers train at least four hours per week, and show off their skills at various trials and competitions up and down the state.
In fact, the Sowles and Gunner recently won Judge’s Choice, first place Evidence Search, and fourth place Overall at the recent Oceanside Police Department K-9 trials. Gibson and Fasko won third place in Search and fifth place in Protection in the Western States Police K9 Association trial in April.
Sowles said he started out as a canine decoy for Yuba County, and he’s wanted to be a police canine handler ever since he was a kid. Sowles grew up in Sacramento County and had family friends part of the police force with police dogs. One in particular was known to be mean, but took to young Sowles.
“It’s very rewarding, especially trial work,” Sowles said. “The whole team has started to celebrate it.”
Gunner is very clear-headed, Sowles said, and can tell the difference between looking for a person and seeking an object. Sowles recalled a shooting in the 300 block of Dorman Avenue in December, in which a 19-year-old man was shot by a 16-year-old around 1 a.m.
Sowles said officers may not have ever recovered the handgun that was concealed under some brush behind the residence, but Gunner sniffed it out just hours after the shooting.
“It really is a team win,” Sowles said. “They saw how useful of a tool he is... I have a lot of confidence in what we do.”
In addition to that, YCWA has to apply for a certification through the State Water Resources Control Board and a biological opinion by the National Marine Fisheries Service, which are both required by FERC.
If the agency is able to accomplish each of those steps, Aikens said it then becomes somewhat of a waiting game.
Through the end of this fiscal year, the relicensing process will have cost the agency approximately $33 million.
“The bulk of the relicensing expenditures have been made already, but there could be additional costs if there are any holdups,” Aikens said.
Aikens said the agency has committed more than $300 million over the term of the new license to help meet all of its requirements for the project, which include “public safety, recreation and environmental benefits, and a new auxiliary spillway to improve public protection.”
“We are more toward the end (of the process). It’s hard to say for sure how long it will take. It’s kind of out of our control, even out of FERCs control to a certain extent. We’d like to see things wrap up soon but it could be another five to 10 years before some of these plans are realized,” Aikens said. Main number....................
EDITOR
Steve Miller.......................
ASSISTANT EDITOR
Andrew Cummins.............
REPORTERS
Jake Abbott....................... Patrick Groves................... Josh Gutierrez................... Chris Kaufman.................. Rachel Rosenbaum........... Kayla Webster...................
COMMUNITY
Leticia Gutierrez...............
SPORTS
Bruce Burton, editor.......... Andy Arrenquin................. Sports scores.....................
PHOTOS
Chris Kaufman, Editor.......
COPY DESK
Josh Kendrix..................... Harold Kruger....................