K-9 Units in Princeton, NJ

By Nora Kreike-Martin

Cadette Troop 70660

Princeton’s First K-9 Unit

Princeton received its

first K-9 unit in the 1960s.

This is K-9 Donder and his

handler, Sgt. Anthony

Nini. Many K-9s come

from Europe, especially

The Netherlands. “Donder”

means “thunder” in Dutch.

Donder served until

March 31, 1969.

Meet K-9 HarrisK-9 Harris is the first K-9

Officer in Princeton after

K-9 Donder. He is a Czech

Shepherd. He was born on

January 12, 2013.

K-9 Harris joined the

Princeton Police force

on January 29, 2014.

His handler is

Cpl. Matthew Solovay.

Naming Princeton’s New K-9 Officer

In keeping with tradition,

K-9 Harris is named for fallen Officer Walter B.

Harris, who served in the Princeton Borough Police Department from

January 11, 1944 to

February 2, 1946.

The Advantages of Police K-9 Officers

• The primary advantage of the police K-9 officer is that dogs are incredibly more efficient and/or faster at doing certain tasks than a human police officer.  The dog serves as a “locating tool,” assisting the police in locating explosives, missing persons, evidence, or criminal suspects.

• Some secondary purposes of K-9 officers are that they serve as a visual deterrent to crime and they are a tool for community relations.

• K-9 officers also expand a police department’s use of force options. Uniquely, a dog can be re-called and stopped; unlike a swing of a baton, a spray of chemical agents, or a bullet when fired by a gun.

The Advantages of Police K-9 Officers

• A police K-9 is one of the hardest working, most efficient, and cost-effective officers in the department, performing 97% of its work with its nose and its presence.

• A K-9 officer’s only salary is its food and maintenance.  

What do K-9 Units do?• Protect the handler, other officers, and citizens• Serve as a visual deterrent for crime • Search for evidence• Search for lost/missing persons • Search and “clear” buildings• Search for hidden suspects • Apprehend fleeing suspects

K-9 Specializations• Arson accelerant detection• Cadaver detection• Explosives (bomb) detection• Narcotics detection• Tracking Missing Persons

Police K-9 Officer TrainingThe police K-9 and its handler receive extensive training from the NJ State Police.

The K-9 Dog’s training :• Agility• Catching criminals• Clearing Buildings• Evidence Searching• Handler/Public Protection   • Obedience• Tracking

The K-9 Handler’s training: • The role and use of a police service dog• Techniques and field procedures• Policy, procedures, and legal issues• Report writing and record keeping• The care and handling of the police service dog

Training K-9 Harris• K-9 Harris will be a dual-purpose dog, specializing in explosives and

patrol functions (tracking, apprehension, evidence locating, etc.)• K-9 Harris completed a 14-week explosives scent detection course

with the NJ State Police on June 13, 2014.• On September 22, 2014, K-9 Harris and Cpl Solovay began a 19

week Canine Patrol course at the NJ State Police Canine Training Academy.

K-9 Harris’ AssignmentsK-9 Harris is a member of the NJ Detect and Render Task Force, which

has 26 dogs throughout the state. He is on call when other NJ towns need assistance with bomb threats, suspicious packages, and other emergent situations.

K-9 Harris also participates in monthly in-service training with the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department to make K-9 training and operations between intra-county agencies more uniform.

       

K-9 Harris’ Assignments in PrincetonK9 Harris participates in patrol just like other officers of the police

department. He goes on calls for service, conducts foot patrols, engages in community policing, and does many other patrol functions.

Besides that, K-9 Harris’ scent specialty is explosives detection. He is used to “clear” buildings and inspect suspicious packages, making sure that there are no explosives in them. It is an important skill because of the world dignitaries and other special guests who visit Princeton University and the Princeton area. K-9 Harris’ first assignment was at the Special Olympics in June 2014. In just the first few months of his career, K9 Harris has performed proactive explosive sweeps for two Foreign Ministers, the President of the European Union, a Supreme Court Justice, the Dalai Lama and Former President Jimmy Carter

K-9 Unit Wish List: A 2nd K-9 UnitOn November 15, 2014, the Police Department alerted my

neighborhood that a woman was missing. I knew K-9 Harris was in training. Right now, if K-9 Harris is unavailable to respond to an incident, the Police Department must look for a K-9 officer from another agency. The problem is that a K-9 is not always available. Since it can get very busy for K-9 Harris, I think it is important for Princeton to have two K-9 officers. A 2nd K-9 Unit would permit on-call rotation. If one K-9 is unavailable to respond to an incident, then the other could be on duty to answer calls for help.

K-9 Unit Wish List: A 2nd K-9 Unit

In keeping with tradition, the

second K-9 would be named

after fallen Officer Billie

D. Ellis, who served with

Princeton Township Police

Department for 3 years.

He died on

August 19,1955.

K-9 Unit Wish List

K-9 Units need lots

of equipment and

supplies. You can

see some of what

they need at:http://www.elitek9.com

For explosive

training aids,

they especially

need cotton

Terry cloth towels!

Fundraising Ideas

• Kanine Kalendar• Koins for K-9s• Picture Dog Show• Selling K-9 Harris

Bookmarks• Towel Drive

• A “K-9 Harris Trust Fund” has been set up at the municipal office to receive the money that is raised. To contribute to the K-9 Harris Trust Fund, checks may be sent c/o Sandra Webb, 400 Witherspoon Street, Princeton, NJ 08540. Her telephone number is 609-924-9183. The check should be made out to "Princeton" with "K-9 Harris Trust Fund" in the memo line. Please note that contributions are not tax deductible. Thank you!

SourcesArticles, Memorandum, and Reports

Memorandum from JR Nini to Sgt. AJ Nini, February 14, 1969.

“What has Four Legs, A Tail, and a Badge,” Scott Morgan, Princeton Echo, July 2014

Princeton Police Department Police Service Dog PowerPoint from Cpl Matthew Solovay, September 30, 2014

Princeton Police Department K-9 Unit Monthly Activity Report, September 2014

“Princeton’s Finest: Moving Forward,” Linda Arntzenius, October 2014

http://www.princetonmagazine.com/princetons-finest-moving-forward/#more-2888

Interviews

Cpl Matthew Solovay, Community Night, August 5, 2014

Cpl Matthew Solovay and Lt. Sharon Papp, August 8, 2014

Lt. Robert Toole, October 16, 2014

Website

http://www.elitek9.com