A New Officer and Best Friend

The Montgomery Police Department got a cuddly new member of the force this week. She is a four-month old Belgian Malinois donated by Charter Communications as part of the company’s charitable giving program. Fittingly, they named her Charter.

The sweet girl is teething and chewed my hand for several minutes. Like most puppies, she loves chewing on her toys and playing tug-of-war. She is a big, beautiful baby who will go home to live with her trainer where she will be loved by him and his three children.

Sgt. W.E. Reeves, who has trained dogs for almost eleven years, said Charter should be ready to work for the department by early summer. Charter will be assigned to the Special Operations Division, where she will begin her service as a drug detection dog.

Montgomery Police Chief Kevin Murphy said MPD relies on its K-9 enforcement program to help prevent and detect criminal activity. The K-9s are used for building searches, drug detection, crowd control, and tracking.

“We need look no further than our late K-9 hero Bodi to understand the value of our K-9 partners,” Murphy said. Bodi, a German shepherd who retired from MPD in January 2012, was shot and wounded in the line of duty when he located and helped apprehend an armed robbery suspect. Bodi died in July 2012. His story brought an outpouring of sympathy and gifts by thousands enraged by the actions of the criminal.

During his retirement ceremony, Bodi was presented with a Purple Heart medal for his bravery. In addition, he received the Paw Award at the 2012 Montgomery Humane Society Dog-U-Tante Ball in April.

Including Charter, Montgomery has 16 K-9 officers. On average, these dogs serve with MPD until they are 10 years old, at which time they retire and are placed in loving homes for the remainder of their lives.

Chief Murphy put it best when he said that there is no greater bond than the relationship between a K-9 officer like Charter and his handler. These special dogs are truly an officer’s best friend.

Heroes Who Walk Among Us

Meet Montgomery Police Corporal D.L. Johnson. He is a veteran of Desert Storm who was seriously injured in an explosion. The father of four children patrols the busy streets of his districts and answers the calls that come in nightly.

It is obvious from riding with him last week that the people of his districts know and respect him. He doesn’t drive down many streets without getting a friendly wave from an elderly resident or a greeting from a child. He has a degree in social work and said he loves the interactions he has with the people he sees daily. He wants people, especially children, to view the police not as men and women who will take them to jail but as individuals who are there to help them.

I watched him and his fellow officers try to help two families who had reportedly been leased the same home and were both there to move in. One of the families also said their belongings had been stolen from the house. The officers managed to ease their concerns and diffused what could have been a volatile situation.

Nightfall became more ominous. Rain made visibility more difficult as Johnson responded to a possible armed robbery call. This could be the most frightening part of the job because the officers are never sure what they are responding to until they get to the scene. I know that my heart was pounding wildly as we met the victim. Johnson was able to get a good description of the suspect, a breakthrough as the woman is suspected of similar crimes in the past two weeks. Now, officers have a chance to bring her in for questioning.

Johnson is just one of the hundreds of officers of the MPD who put their lives on the line every day. I hope to tell you about them in the coming months as I meet them and learn about the departments I now serve. These men and women are truly heroes who walk among us.