Police dogs have always played important roles in fighting crime. And the Portland Police Bureau depends a lot on its 11 crime-fighting canine companions.

 

Their keen sense of smell and hearing, their fearlessness, and their quick attack abilities provide officers with the protection and tools they need on the streets.

 

“We rely on these animals a great deal and ask a tremendous amount of work from them,” said Sergeant Bob McCormick of the Police Bureau’s K-9 Unit. “They are magnificent animals and give us everything they can.”

 

Police dogs help apprehend suspects, search buildings, find articles of evidence and provide protection for officers and the community.

 

One such member of the Police Bureau’s K-9 Unit that performed extraordinarily well was Deny, a German shepherd that came to the Police Bureau in 1997 from the Czech Republic. Along with his human partner, Officer Shawn Gore, Deny had many accomplishments during his nine-year career with the Bureau. Among them were:

But in October 2006, Deny had to be put down because he suffered from an inoperable brain tumor. However, his accomplishments didn’t go unrecognized. On February 1, 2007, the Southeast Precinct Citizen’s Advisory Council honored Deny, along with the rest of the K-9 Unit, at a recognition ceremony at the Bureau’s Southeast Precinct.

 

The council, which supports the unit by providing some of the equipment, named Deny the Portland Police K-9 of the Year, an honor he won three previous times.

 

“This citizen group has been a long-term supporter and partner of our unit,” said McCormick. “They have raised funds to purchase ballistic vests for our dogs and have donated money to purchase many of our dogs in the past.”

 

The unit consists of nine officers and two sergeants, which translates into 11 patrol dog teams. There are also two dogs assigned to the Bureau’s Drugs and Vice Division, and two more will join the police ranks as bomb-sniffing dogs. All the dogs at the Bureau were imported from Europe, and most came from the Czech Republic. The cost of each dog ranges from $4,000 to $8,000.

 

Other than having the unconditional love of a partner and friend, one of the most enjoyable parts of being in the K-9 Unit is doing demonstrations in front of groups. In 2006, the unit performed in front of more than 60 youth and community groups.

 

“We love to show off our dogs and let people see them,” said McCormick, who has been with the Police Bureau since 1994. “We are proud of the job they do and we always look for opportunities to explain the dogs’ contributions.”

 

 

Officer Shawn Gore with police dog Deny, who died in October 2006. The crime-fighting duo received 26 separate commendations.