Stonington police welcome K-9 Milo
— The police department Stonington held a small meet and greet luncheon on Tuesday to introduce Milo, the newest addition to the force.
The 13-month-old German Shepherd will begin training at the Connecticut State Police Training Academy on Monday alongside handler Officer Nick Long, who has been with the department for six years.
“Training is very involved; it’s quite long,” Deputy Chief Todd Olson said, estimating the length at several months.
The training is also physically demanding for the handler, who must pass the same physical agility test that new recruits must pass before being accepted into the academy.
According to Olson, Milo was purchased from a specialized breeder in New York and has been living with Long since the department acquired him in early January.
“We normally, through donations and through asset forfeiture money, are able to purchase the dog. The dog is normally about $9,500, which is not cheap,” Olson said, adding that donations were not used to buy Milo.
Asset forfeiture allows police to seize property involved in a crime and then keep it or sell it and retain the proceeds. One example is when police seize a car involved in illegal drug sales.
Long said he and Milo have adjusted well and added that Milo has a lot of energy, and may still have some growing to do.
Once his training is complete, Milo will be a patrol and narcotics dog, meaning he will be able to track people as well as detect drugs, though Long clarified that narcotics detection is a separate course.
“They are certainly a tool that we use in some of the duties we have,” Olson said.
“We have people that commit a crime and then run into the woods, or run away from an area, and we’ll have (the K-9) track them. Also, we have an elderly population in town, that if, an Alzheimer’s patient or something gets lost we can assist with locating the person with a K-9,” he said.
Olson said some K-9s, depending on their temperament, can also be used in community outreach.
“There’s just all kinds of opportunities to use the dog, even as well as going into the schools and introducing the dog to the kids — you know, the kids love them,” he said.
The department is also requesting funds for a second K-9 in the 2023-24 budget.
“One dog can only do so much, especially if you’re searching for narcotics. If it’s in a building, you can’t search a massive building with only one dog,” he said, adding that they currently rely on K-9s from surrounding departments in such cases.
The department’s most recent K-9, Odin, retired in December, after almost eight years of service, after developing some medical issues.
“These dogs are unbelievable, and if they’re running through swamps or anything like that, it really takes a toll on them,” Olson said.
He added that the department has been lucky because Stonington Veterinary Hospital had donated all of Odin’s medical care, including his routine exams, vaccines and acupuncture.
Officer Earl Palmer, his handler, will be keeping Odin as a family pet.