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Sunrise Police and K9’s {Bruce Strom}

By Bruce Strom

On homicide week in our Sunrise Community Police Academy, the police instructor showed us the ghoulish face of a dementia patient found face down in a canal. The officer commented that, for some strange reason, dementia patients have a strange attraction to water, often drowning.

Roughly sixty percent of dementia patients wander. Experts note that when someone suffering from dementia wanders away, one in four will lose their lives if they are not found within two days. This is why police urge citizens to report a missing person sooner rather than later.

We asked the police instructors: What has changed in policing?

Today, few people suggest defunding the police. Nationwide, police have become more aware of mental health issues facing those citizens suffering from dementia, autism, schizophrenia, and/or homelessness. The police are often the first to encounter mental illness on their beats. Several years ago, the Florida Legislature, upon the recommendation of the Alzheimer’s Association, included optional training on dementia in the police CIT training programs.

The Sunrise Police Department provides free access to the Angelsense program for its residents. In this program, a hardware device tracks the youth and seniors when they wander. This is a problem with many loved ones who suffer from autism or dementia. If a loved one does wander away, the police want you to report their absence as soon as possible, as their life may be in danger, literally.

Training for police dogs and their handlers

Dogs are amazing creatures. True, people can read and write, but a dog’s sense of smell is a hundred times stronger. A trained dog can follow a suspect’s unique odor several hours after he walks, bikes, or runs through a backyard or field. If the air is still, the odor trail lasts longer, although sunlight and rain can wash it out.

Which dogs are preferred for police work? German shepherds and especially Belgian Malinois, or Belgian Shepherds, are energetic, easy to train, intelligent, impossible to intimidate, and have an excellent sense of smell. Belgian Malinois are known for their athleticism, health, and willingness to pursue humans who tower over them. These dogs go crazy if they are be left alone during the day. They are working dogs needing constant stimulation and attention all day long. The police dog is their handler’s constant companion; he takes them home as part of their family. Most police dogs work for about a decade before retirement.

What role do dogs play in police work? These dogs can help detect cadavers, money, drugs, and bombs. Dogs can sweep public events, search for a missing person by following their scent trail, and search for a fugitive. Most importantly, dogs can de-escalate a tense encounter, avoiding violent confrontations. If a suspect flees down a dark alley, or hides in a dark building, a dog can find and restrain him far quicker and safer than a police officer. The sight of the handler holding back his eager dog tugging at his leash can be psychologically intimidating to suspects.

In the Sunrise Police Department canine obedience training, police dogs are trained to run up stairs, jump over obstacles, run through pipes, and search the rooms in a house, including attics, ignoring gunfire. Dogs lack the depth perception of humans; they learn to trust the instructions of their instructor. Their handler also learns emergency care and treatment for their dog.

If a suspect gives up after the handler releases his dog, then the handler needs to recall the dog. The dogs are trained to charge when released, and to stop and turn around when necessary. The dogs are rewarded with playtime, throwing a toy for retrieval, but sometimes they are momentarily recalled for practice.

At our Community Academy, the police demonstrated how they train their dogs. Most police canine teams are happy to provide demonstrations at public events. If you want to learn more, the San Diego Police Foundation YouTube channel has some interesting canine training videos.

We asked the police instructors: What has changed in policing?

Technology has revolutionized the police departments. In addition to the body and surveillance cameras, technology has also revolutionized the 911 call center. The only city in Broward County with its own call center is Plantation. All other cities contract with the Broward County Sheriff’s Office. One of their three call centers is in the Sunrise Police Department building. The call center employees take the emergency calls and dispatch police to the scene. When both the police and firemen are dispatched, the police will first determine if the situation is safe for the firemen.

Remember those movies where you had to keep the bad guys on the phone for several minutes to trace their call and their location? That is the ancient past; now, the 911 call centers can immediately locate the ping for any cellphone that is turned on, no waiting. Likewise, the police have real-time access to surveillance cameras in the Sawgrass Mills mall. Incoming calls and their locations on city maps are displayed on dozens of oversize computer screens. Text messages are accepted for 911 calls, as the caller may be compromised. The call center employees also handle swatting calls, especially for famous or wealthy people, including professional athletes.

Suicide is higher during holidays, often triggered by loneliness or domestic troubles. Men are five times more likely to commit suicide than women, across all ages, races, and classes. The Sunrise Police Department engages several psychologists who negotiate suicides, hostage, and domestic situations. For more information, the Waterloo Regional Police Service YouTube channel has an interesting video.

Are you interested in becoming a police officer for Sunrise, Florida? Attending the Community Police Academy will provide more insight into what police encounter in their career. This Community Academy includes an evening where you ride with the police. The Sunrise Police Department website has recruiting information. A career in local law enforcement is open to those who have a high school education, with good pay.

Bruce Stom is a member of Sunrise Rotary, the Treasurer for a local condominium association, and is a freelance writer, whose YouTube Channel iswww.youtube.com/@ReflectionsMPH .

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