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Logan Township police officer Alex Vazquez will be the handler of the township's next K-9 police dog.
Vazquez was chosen from among three in-house candidates, who submitted resumes and a letter of interest and who submitted to interviews and visits to their homes to ensure they and their families would make a good match with a dog, Police Chief Tim Mercer said recently.
All three candidates were qualified, but Vazquez was found to be most suited because of his dedication, interest in drug investigation and "proactive" approach to patrol, according to Mercer.
One of the new dog's primary duties will be to locate illegal drugs in vehicles, and for that to happen, it requires an officer who's willing to take the initiative in traffic enforcement, Mercer said.
At their most recent meeting, the township supervisors approved a contract that creates an incentive for Vazquez to remain on the force while he's handling the new dog -- which will replace Vilo, who retired recently from K-9 duty about a year earlier than expected because of a tumor.
The new contract will require Vazquez to pay back $10,000 if he voluntarily leaves the force within a year, with the paybacks shrinking by $2,000 annually, until they disappear after five years.
The township wanted such incentives, because once a K-9 dog bonds with a handler, the dog cannot easily acclimate to another one, thus virtually rendering it unfit for further K-9 service, Mercer said.
Vilo's handler, officer Matt Lutz, was not permitted to apply for another K-9 post, because Vilo lives at home with him as a pet, and a second dog -- K-9 dogs live with their handlers -- would not likely get along with Vilo.
K-9 dogs all have alpha personalities, Mercer indicated.
A township delegation had planned to travel to a western Pennsylvania kennel to choose the new dog last week, according to Mercer.
Among the characteristics they seek are "drive," aggressiveness and determination to follow through on tasks, Mercer said.
All the dogs are between 1 and 3 years old and are either German shepherds, Dutch shepherds or Belgian Malinois, Mercer said.
The new dog will be cross-trained for patrol, narcotics detection and tracking.
On Oct. 2, Vazquez will go to the kennel for six weeks of intensive training designed to develop a bond between the pair, Mercer said.
They'll graduate Nov. 10.
The township is buying a new Ford Interceptor as a K-9 vehicle.
There is a cage in back.
When the temperature in the vehicle goes too high, an alarm sounds on a device clipped to the officer's belt.
When the officer doesn't respond to that in a reasonable time, the windows go down to admit fresh air.
If the officer gets in trouble outside the car, he can trigger a device on his belt to release the dog.
While the township currently lacks K-9 capability, the norm is for two dogs.
It had two last year until Lutz's fellow K-9 officer, Matt Massaro, took another job.
Massaro took his dog, Blek, who was 6 at the time, home as a pet.
Supervisor Joe Metzgar is a supporter of the K-9 program.
In addition to the drug sniffing and the connection that the dog can create with children, the presence of a K-9 at an arrest scene tends to make arrestees "all the sudden cooperative," he said.
Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 949-7038.