Meet Golden Jerry

Canine Cop in Training
By Sarah J. Boggan, Arizona Daily Star, March 30, 2006
 

Oro Valley police officer Bill Burney trains golden retriever Jerry, the department's new explosives detection dog outside the department. Jim Davis / Arizona Daily Star photo

Tucson, Arizona - Jerry has joined Oro Valley's police department as its first golden retriever K-9 officer. Oro Valley's newest police officer has flowing blond locks, enjoys squeaky toys and has a nose for explosives.

Jerry, a 2-year-old golden retriever, joined the Oro Valley Police Department earlier this month and is in his third week of training to become the department's newest explosives-detection dog.

In joining its canine lineup — Duke, a Belgian malinois, and German shepherds Smokey and Nikko — Jerry becomes the department's first golden retriever.

A 2005 Homeland Security grant brought Jerry to Oro Valley from Brazil to work with his partner, Officer Bill Burney.

The grant also provided for a K-9 unit vehicle, said Lt. Jason Larter, of the department's field operations division.

"The grant gave up to $8,000 for the dog and $50,000 for a vehicle and equipment," said Larter, who wrote the grant.

Part of the $8,000 will be spent to train Jerry, he said. Training takes as long as the dog needs, Larter said.

At the end of training, Jerry should be able to detect 24 different odors of agents used in explosives, Larter said.

 

Burney says training is a slow process but Jerry is progressing well. "He's a gentle, great dog," he said. Jim Davis / Arizona Daily Star

"With Jerry, we can continue to help support not only Oro Valley but all of Southern Arizona in homeland-protection measures," Larter said.

Jerry is progressing well, Burney said. "He's a gentle, great dog," Burney said. "Training is a slow process, but it's a 100 percent partnership."

The three other dogs are what the police call "dual-purpose dogs," often serving to detect narcotics as well as being "street dogs" who chase down criminals like those seen on television and in movies.

Chief Danny Sharp said the trend for police agencies is to have more "single-purpose dogs" trained to specialize in one area.

Jerry is being trained as a single-purpose dog who will sniff out bombs and other explosives. He is not expected to do any street work, police officials said.

"Jerry is less aggressive because of his breed," Sharp said. "Certain breeds you can train for aggression work, such as German shepherds."

While officers can search a building for drugs or explosives, they can come out still questioning if they missed something, Burney said. "With the dog you're sure."

Jerry lives and works with Burney. When police dogs are retired, they often stay with their human partners, Burney said.

Even though Jerry is slated for a single purpose, "there's a lot this dog can do," Sharp said. Jerry's duties will include making sure buildings do not have explosives inside and checking suspicious packages, Sharp said.

Police officials believe Jerry will provide eight to 10 years of service, depending on whether he receives any injuries.

"Canines take quite a load off patrol officers — they serve a lot of purposes," Burney said. "These dogs are worth their weight in gold."

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