Baltimore City Police K-9 Unit

 

Baltimore Police K9 Training

America's Best K9 Training has for many years been known as the Baltimore System

BALTIMORE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT

1. Inception

On Tuesday, December 11, 1956, an article was published in one of our local newspapers which was one of a series of articles written by one Martin Millspaugh pertaining to Scotland Yard. This article, the last of a series was devoted to the use of police dogs in London. As a result of the letters and inquiries received by Commissioner James M. Hepbron, an article appeared in the Morning Sun on December 17, 1956, which briefly stated that Commissioner Hepbron was interested and saw the possibilities of using dogs in the Baltimore City Police Department. On December 18, 1956, two dogs that had had previous training were offered to the Baltimore City Police Department and, with two officers also with previous dog experience, the program was put into effect on an experimental basis. By the middle of January 1957, fourteen dogs had been acquired as potential candidates and fourteen men were selected and assigned to the K~9 Corps. These men were chosen as a result of a questionnaire which was sent to all members of the department asking for volunteers. These men and dogs were trained daily until March 1, 1957. At that time, they were put on the street on Friday and Saturday nights, working the areas where the crime was most prevalent. Shortly after this, actually on April 17, 1957, ~ Commissioner Hepbron, considering the experiment a success, went before the Mayor and City Council and appropriations were made through the Board of Estimates which resulted in the K-9 Corps becoming a permanent part of the Baltimore City Police.

II. Administration

The administration of the Canine CK-9) Corps is under the direction of an Inspector of Police. A Lieutenant has been placed in command of the unit, and he has a civilian trainer assigned to him whose sole responsibility is the training of the officers and the dogs. There are also 2 sergeants assigned to the K-9 Corps who assist in the training program. These sergeants also monitor the activity of the K9 patrol force in the field under the direction of their commanding officer. These sergeants were selected on the basis of their qualifications, and previous knowledge and experience in training and handling dogs. The balance of the organization at present consists of 30 officers (patrolmen), a clerk and 40 dogs. 

III. Method of Selection Officers

It must be kept in mind that an officer to work with a dog must want to do so - he cannot be forced into the job as his reactions to his work reflects in the animal. All officers, therefore, must volunteer, From this list, they are carefully screened and selected. First, they must meet certain requirements;

(a) They must live in their own home. This home must have adequate ground or a yard to house and care for a dog,
(b) The Officers wife and family must be investigated from a standpoint of willingness and approval. 
(c) They must have available an automobile to use at all times.
(d) Their personnel record with the department must be good.
(e) Sufficient practical police experience or knowledge before being assigned to the unit.

IV. Cost

The cost of the K-9 Corps consists of the salary of the personnel assigned to the unit plus an estimated figure of $200 per year per dog. (This latter figure is based on the cost of food, equipment, and veterinary charges).

V. Procurement or Dogs
All dogs have been donated outright to the department for use in police work. They must be German Shepherd Dogs (male) sound of body, physically fit and of good even temperament • neither vicious nor shy, and preferably under 3 years of age.

VI. Kennel 
No kennel facilities are provided. Each dog is assigned to an officer and from that point on lives with him at his home. The fact that the dog is with the officer constantly not only provides a closer bond of relationship between man and dog, but it also eliminates the necessity of the erection of expensive kennels and the personnel to staff same.

VII. Food

Food is purchased by the department and distributed to the individual officer as required. This food consists of a kennel biscuit and canned horse meat or beef.

VIII. Training

Bach officer is taught to train his own dog. The dog is first trained in basic obedience and tested for gun shyness. Next, attack work and then trailing (location of lost persons or criminals.)· Finally, the dog is trained to locate articles or materials that could be used as evidence, (It is extremely important in the attack training that the dog attacks only on command of his handler and releases immediately when told).

 IX. Operation

Members of the K-9 Corps are assigned to the Headquarters Roster and they are available for use anywhere in the City. This unit operates on a three-shift basis Shifts #1 and #3 work concurrently between the hours of 6 PM and 2 AM Shift #2 works the hours of 8 AM to 4 PM. This results in an officer working two weeks of night work followed by one week of day work. There is also a small force operating on the streets in radio cars between the hours of 1 AM and 9 AM  During the day shift the training of the men and dogs is intensified and developed. All men on the7 day shift are on a standby basis for emergencies, but, by the rotation method, a small force operates in radio-equipped vehicles and occasionally on foot, on the street during the daylight hours. (It is important that both officers and dogs continue in their training to keep up their effectiveness and to increase their ability). Officers of the Corps ·and their dogs are assigned to sections of the City where crime is most prevalent. They replace manpower due to the fact that additional officers need not be assigned to these areas. The actual area in which the dog is to operate is given to each District Commander via teletype on Monday of each week so that he can utilize the assignment of extra men to areas other than those covered by dogs. Primarily, a dog and officer work on foot and are assigned two posts instead of one. These dogs are always worked on a leash and only released when actually necessary to apprehend a criminal. However, 4 radio patrol cars are utilized - one being the Monitor Sergeant. The dogs ride in the cars with these officers and, being mobile, are very effective in taking calls anywhere in the City. 

X. Types of Calls Handled by the K-9 Corps

Possibly the greatest value of police dogs lies in their mere presence on the street. The psychological effect has been tremendous and their deterrent effect on crime cannot be measured. Primarily they are assigned to areas where assaults; purse snatchings and yokings (muggings) are most prevalent. However, the dogs are very effective in dispersing and controlling crowds, in searching buildings, in assisting with arrests and the actual apprehension of criminals. They are also detailed (during visiting hours) in the vicinity of our hospitals as a preventive measure against purse snatchings and assaults, etc. Their function is not to replace the Post Officer, but to work in conjunction with him, keeping in mind that their effectiveness is greatest on the public streets and in the city parks. 

XI. Public Exhibitions

Upon requests, the members of the Corps demonstrate the use of their trained dogs at both private and public functions throughout the city, and the adjacent counties. These exhibitions are most interesting and the requests have become so numerous that we find it impossible to comply with all of them. We have established excellent public relations through these.

XII. Summary

As of this date, the Baltimore City Police Department is utilizing the services of 40 trained dogs. At the present time, we have 18 officers and dogs patrolling the streets of Baltimore on foot each night, in addition, there are 4 radio patrol cars each with officer and dog. The Canine (K-9) Corps occupies a building formerly used as a Police Station. The detention cells in this building are occasionally used for housing our dogs. The building is spacious and contains ample space for expansion. Much of the training during inclement weather takes place in the basement of this building. There is also an out-of-doors fenced-in training area which is situated in one of our city parks within close proximity to our present quarters. The general public has accepted this program wholeheartedly and the press has been most cooperative. The entire program has had the desired effect, and that possibly can be summed up in this brief statement - "You can argue with a Police Officer, but you cannot argue with his dog."

Courtesy of Mitch-Mike Paris
Officer Mitch-Mike Paris with Corporal 

In 1956, Baltimore established the first effective municipal canine corps of modern times in the United States. At that time, the Deputy Chief of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Police Department Roger E. Murdock investigated the possibility of setting up a K9 corps in his city. Murdock concluded that police dogs do function effectively in certain types of operations, such as after-dark, foot patrolling in industrial areas. However, because there are relatively few such areas in Los Angeles, and because of the "motorized" character of its large" police force, Murdock felt that the benefits derivable from a canine corps in Los Angeles would not justify its cost. Consequently, the city decided
against establishing a corps.

PROCEDURE FOR ESTABLISHING
A CANINE CORPS
When a police department considers using police dogs, it must weigh these factors in arriving at a decision: the costs, the advantages, and disadvantages of the program, and the needs of the city.

Costs. Once the decision to establish a canine corps has been made, a city must provide in its budget for the best available training and equipment. The experience of Portland, Oregon, as described above illustrates the consequences of the failure to adequately finance a canine program.

For such a program to be successfully activated, a twofold information campaign should be conducted, one part aimed at the public and the other at police department personnel. By explaining the functions of the corps to the mass media, it is often possible to obtain their assistance in presenting the program to the public. This procedure costs the police agency very little. When the training period is over, it is advisable, even though expensive, to hold public demonstrations. The second part of the information campaign, the intra-department phase, should be designed to acquaint personnel with the canine program and to recruit volunteers for training as handlers. Usually, a brochure describing the program and the advantages of working in it, and setting forth the qualifications for becoming handlers, is the best way of introducing the program to the department. Later, after the program is established, additional brochures specifying situations in which the dogs might be called into action should be distributed periodically.

A department should establish qualifications for handlers before they are selected. In small departments or those with limited manpower, strict requirements will yield few volunteers; thus, qualifications will differ from department to department. There are certain basic qualifications, however, that every department should establish. A handler should be a physically-fit young man, who plans to remain in the department for the work-life expectancy of the dog, for a dog should not be switched from one handler to another. The man must volunteer, he must have the permission of his wife and family, and he must own his own home or have a rental agreement in writing that permits him to kennel his dog at his home. He should have at least one year of police experience, a good record, and an affection for dogs. If the department cannot provide it, he must have means for transporting his dog too and from work. It is also advisable that he has no other dog at his home. These are the basic requirements. Many departments require, in addition, that he have the approval of his neighbors, that he have at least ten more years to work before retirement, that he sign an agreement to remain in the department for a certain period, and that he qualify under various other age and service-length conditions.

The next major cost factor is the initial training of the corps. For the first few handler-dog teams, the department should select a police agency with an established training school and make arrangements with it for the training of these teams. Once the handlers have completed the training program, they should be able to establish a training school within their own department. This is the recommended procedure if the city plans a large corps, with more than five or ten dogs. If, however, the city is small and its need for dogs limited, it may wish never to have more than three or four man-dog teams; such a city will find it financially advantageous to send all its teams to an established school. The charge for training at an established school is usually $600 for each man-dog team, including the cost of the police dog.

If a large department plans a continued expansion of its corps, a permanent training facility is indicated. The cost of a school building and training grounds can range from $4,000 to $50,000, depending on the complexity of the structures and the number of kennels included. These kennels each consist of a fenced-off area, a doghouse, and a tying post. Their location at the training school serves a double purpose: First, it limits the number of persons the dog encounters during training, ensuring its concentration on the handler; second, it provides housing for dogs acquired prior to training, as well as for dogs belonging to other departments that are waiting to begin training. Therefore, enough kennels should be constructed to accommodate the number of teams that can be trained at one time, as well as a few extra for dogs waiting to be trained.

If a department intends to establish its own school, the first team it sends to another city for training generally does not participate later in the operational activities of its own canine corps. Instead, the handler-usually gave the rank of sergeant-becomes the trainer for the new school and uses his dog for demonstration. This man's salary, the 'team's training expenses, and the cost of the dog's maintenance must, of course, be considered part of the corps' expenses.

Once activated, the corps must obtain additional dogs for training. Although only one-tenth of the dogs presently in use were purchased, few suitable dogs are now being donated. As a consequence, departments will probably have to buy more dogs in the future, at a cost of from $125 to $175 each. The most suitable dogs are male German Shepherds, 6 to 24 months old, weighing 75 pounds or more. A dog should be inspected before purchase by both the trainer and the corps' veterinarian. Immediately after purchase, it should be housed at the training school. The work-life expectancy of these dogs is from seven to ten years. A department generally employs a caretaker for its training school, to look after the dogs kenneled there as well as the buildings themselves.

 

The equipment a department must provide for its canine program during the training stage is of two varieties: the permanent equipment of the training school and the articles supplied to each team. The first category includes attack suits; arm padding; obstacles such as hurdles, steps, ladders, and window jumps; different types of buildings for search training; cleaning equipment; and some medical equipment, especially if the corps' veterinarian is housed at the school. An optional item in this category is the "electrified collar," used, for example, in the St. Louis training program to administer a mild shock if a dog has trouble learning to break off the attack.

Included in the category of equipment supplied each team is two chain-choke collars; a 22-inch leather collar; a tracking line and harness; two five-foot leather leads; one one-foot leather lead; one kennel collar; two feeding pans; one comb; one brush; and a kennel for use at the handler's home. The kennel costs approximately $60 and the rest of the equipment about $25. The handler himself should supply his own work clothes, foul weather jacket and cap, three-quarter-length boots, gloves, and raincoat. The estimated average cost of training- one handler-dog team is about $1,200, the approximate cost of training a rookie policeman. All indications are that those departments following the London Plan of training are enjoying great success. (See the section, "The London Plan.") The training program advocated by the Army and Air Force, although appropriate to their needs, would require considerable alteration and integration with the London Plan to fit it to the needs of a city police. department, since the aims of military and municipal canine programs, are different. Our findings indicate that conformance to the London Plan alone yields as good if not better results than the adoption of any military plan of training.

One deviation from the London Plan may be necessary, depending on the city's characteristics, and that is training in hard-surface tracking. As noted above, the London Plan does not emphasize this training, since London has a few large areas of hard surface-that is, surface devoid of crushed grass and insects. Hard-surface tracking is taught much the same as other tracking, except that the training takes longer, is more difficult, and requires a greater development of the dog's sense of smell. Classes in this training phase should consist of not more than six teams, to permit more concentrated instruction.

The next cost factor involves field operations. Food, veterinary services, kennels, and working equipment cost an estimated $200 yearly per dog. Added to this is the cost of equipping police cars four-door sedans, one for every two teams-with aluminum or wooden compartments in the place of back seats, and with wire mesh to separate the dogs from each other and from their handlers. Wire mesh is also placed over the windows to provide ventilation without allowing people near the dogs when the auto is parked. The vehicles should be painted white, as this reduces summer temperatures inside by 10 or 15 degrees.

Also included in the corps' operational costs should be the salaries of a commanding lieutenant, sergeants who supervise field operations, and additional record-keeping personnel, as well as the cost of office equipment, space for administrative activities, and insurance to cover accidental injury to innocent persons. Other operational costs are overtime pay to handlers for extra duties, and $20 per year figured as depreciation on the dog. Still another expense covers time lost in supplementary training, usually averaging eight hours per week. In all, the expense of maintaining a dog on duty is estimated at one-half that of maintaining its handler.

Operations. After weighing the financial costs, a department should consider what it will gain from using police dogs. This consideration is closely linked to the particular crime problems and needs of the city, which should determine how the dogs are used. Canine corps are used most effectively for searching, tracking, crowd control, and crime deterrence. In cities where muggings, purse snatchings, burglaries, and breaking-and-entering are frequent, canine corps are more valuable than in cities where white-collar crime prevails. Cities with large slum and deteriorating areas have more need for dogs than suburban communities, although suburban areas bordering on the central city have used dogs successfully in curbing the city's overflow of crime.

Dogs should be assigned to areas with rising crime rates, to industrial areas containing warehouses and stockyards, to riverfront areas, and to tenement and slum areas. A canine corps is also effective in parks and in the parking lots of public areas, operas, theatres, and sporting parks. The dogs are most valuable at the time of day the city experiences its greatest crime activity, usually in the late evening and early morning hours. Teams should be rotated between day and night duty for experience in both.

The system of assigning teams to ride two in a car, one leaving the car to patrol a designated area on foot, and the other remaining on call in the car, is considered most successful. The two duties should be alternated between the teams, allowing each equal experience in foot patrolling. A handler should keep his dog on a leash at all times, releasing it only to search presumably empty buildings, or to chase or attack. A special line allowing the dog more freedom of movement is used for tracking. A muzzle is unnecessary if a dog is properly trained. Only in the line of duty should dogs be taken into public buildings or onto public transportation vehicles.

One regular work-day a week should be set aside for supplementary training under the supervision of one of the regular trainers. The handler should indicate the areas in which his dog most needs training. At this time the dogs are given practice in those duties rarely performed in day-to-day activities.

Wherever used, a police dog affords its handler greater protection and relieves him of the dangerous duties of searching wooded areas, buildings, alleys, and dark, out-of-the-way places. In controlling crowds, it has been estimated that one dog can do the work of seven officers, either dispersing the people or holding them for arrest. Dogs can be helpful in arresting known "escape artists," in finding lost persons, and in searching disaster areas for victims. They are most celebrated, of course, for their deterrent effect on crime; however, a canine corps must be widely dispersed and have strength enough to deter crime generally, not merely to drive it from one area to another.

Some problems arise in using police dogs if their training is not thorough and complete. Thus, if a dog is trained to attack when its handler is threatened, the handler should be able to command it to break off the attack in the event, for example, the handler is scuffling with a drunk. Similarly, if a dog is taught to attack a person brandishing a weapon, the handler should have such complete control over the dog that he can prevent it from attacking if the team is working with other police officers. Attacking a person threatening its handler or brandishing a weapon is the only type of activity a dog is trained to perform on its own initiative; in all other situations, it should act only on the command of its handler. Dogs are not particularly useful in such functions as traffic patrols or investigation details. Each individual department must decide the phases of police work its dogs will aid most effectively and assign them to the appropriate divisions. It must be remembered that each dog requires at least eight hours -a week of its handler's time which would ordinarily be spent in the performance of regular police duties. A department must balance this sacrifice of time against the advantages of using dogs.

PUTTING TEETH IN THE LAW

By Sid Latham

Baltimore police have gone to the dogs in a big way and all because patrolmen have learned that one low growl is worth a dozen warning shots

A Baltimore policeman and his dog were walking their beat in one of the more rugged sections of the city when they heard the sounds of combat a couple of blocks away. Double-liming it up the street, the officer saw five men had another man down on the sidewalk and were beating the hell out of him. Seeing the law bearing down, the five took to their heels. "Go get'em, Major!" the cop bawled. Unleashed, the big dog took off up a dark alley after three of the assailants. The two others outdistanced the cop, but when the officer began a search of a parking lot, he heard Major's throaty growl coming from the darkness. Sure enough, Major had cornered the three who were hiding in a big truck. The trio meekly crawled out of the truck. “We might have outrun you," they complained, "but when we saw that dammed dog, we knew we was up the creek." Such incidents are by no means rare in Baltimore, where the police department has been using dogs to help catch crooks for the past year and a half.

Every evening. Twenty-one policemen and their dogs report for duty in the ready-room of the city's Northern District Station house, headquarters for the department's canine corps. Baltimore, the sixth largest city in the country, claims that it has the only dog patrol used by any major police force in the United States. The animals are not regarded as a noble experiment but as a valued and important adjunct to proper law enforcement. The dog patrols began in December of 1956 under the supervision of Police Commissioner James M. Hepbron, who gives the fur-covered members of his force a large share of the credit in cutting the city crime rate by 21 percent during the first six months the dogs were on duty. Most of the dogs come from civic-minded people who have donated their animals to the force. The training program is under the direction of Major Wilson Davis, a wiry ex-Marine Corps officer who had a lot of experience with duty animals by training dogs for war during the Pacific Campaign.

All of the patrolmen in the canine division are volunteers. Many of the men have never owned dogs before, and each officer undergoes an intensive, four-month training period with the dogs before going on patrol. Officers with dogs are assigned to sixteen of the toughest posts in the city. Major Davis prowls the city in a station wagon with a big German shepherd named Prince sitting by his side. A prime example of where the dogs prove their worth is Jackson Park, a three-block area that once required the constant attention of seven policemen and where the rapes and muggings continued regardless. Within one week of putting a solitary officer and his dog on the post, crime in the park dropped almost completely. Dogs are also the answer to the city's unique problem of a rabbit warren of alleys and byways in the old sections of Baltimore.

A fleeing criminal can quickly lose himself by running into one of the dark, twisting lanes. But when a cop shouts up the alley, "Come out, or I'll turn the dog loose," the well-hidden crooks come crawling out of their holes with great haste. "Most criminals," Major Davis says, "stand ·very still when cornered by a snarling, Bare fanged dog. Our dogs are not trained to kill or injure. Their job is to catch up with a suspect and hold him until an officer arrives to take charge. Dogs have not injured anybody, but I will not guarantee what might happen if someone were fool enough to try to fight off a dog. If one of these dogs are attacked, he'll attack in turn."

The dogs really shine when it comes to searching great warehouses and stores for prowlers. It took just 20-minutes for six dogs to completely search the large May Company department store on a prowler call. Where cops are forced to proceed with a certain amount of caution, dogs can rush around without any fear of being jumped or "disarmed." Street fights arc very quickly broken up by dogs, where policemen trying the same thing are apt to get embroiled in the fighting themselves.

Besides his fangs, the dog has one other weapon no crook can escape: the animal's keen nose. Recently a policeman and his dog were sent to check a prowler call in a large factory. The officer found, a man’s jacket lying on the floor and gave it to the dog to sniff. The canine cop trotted around with his nose to the floor and then took off upstairs. There, hiding on top of a large vat, was the prowler, who surrendered quickly enough when he heard the growls of the animal below him.

The Baltimore cops are so fond of their dogs that one of them said: "I wouldn't be without my partner for anything. I go places I'd never go before. If they took my dog away, I'd quit the force tomorrow."When the night's tour of duty is over, the dogs each go home with their master. Not only do the officers and the animals get to know each other better this way, but the need for an expensive police kennel is eliminated. 

The idea of using dogs in police work is not original with Baltimore. Police departments in Holland and in Egypt use dogs in narcotic control and have for many years. Dogs to help catch crooks is old scuff to many European law enforcement agencies, but Baltimore is the first American city to recognize the worth of four-footed flatfeet. - Sid Latham

Patrolman Leo Smith

My uncle Leo Smith came onto the department in 1960 and was a member of the K9 unit from approximately 1962 until 1969/70. He had two dogs "Rusty" and "Prince" Ret Officer Smith carries a picture of them in his wallet to this day. Rusty retired, and went to live with him and his family, Prince was a bit aggressive and ended up going to the military, and doing a couple tours in Vietnam. He said working K9 was a great unit, and when you get a good dog, he becomes a part of your family.                      

Baltimore Police K9 Licenses

This is two K9 Licenses once worn by k9 Dogs being trained and handled by Officer Al Wilder, The dogs Lupo wore K9-592 from 1981 to 1986 the second Jock K9-168 worn from 1986 to 1996.

 

America's best K9 unit and system started in 1956, became official in 1957 But some trial runs date back as far back as, "1914" when we started a unit using "contract employees", "sub-contracted Dogs" call them what you want, but we had K9 Dogs as far back as 1914 from what I can see, and based on the following:

FINE SCOUTS, THEY SAY--THESE POLICE DOGS

1 Nov 1914

Baltimore will test them in lonely suburbs, tales of criminals they have caught in New York.

Trained to attack a burger, a murderer or any person against whom a policeman wants protection, two Airedale Terriers are on their way here from the kennels of Major E. H. Richardson, and Grove and, Haro, near London, to do services within the Baltimore Police Department. Through the success obtained by the Airedale police dogs in other cities, the police board at a recent meeting decided to create a dog squad, the four-footed members of the force being assigned to assist the policeman in the northern and another in the Northwestern District. In regular police service, the police dogs are said to be invaluable tool patrolman’s post is extensive. Their duties as police stalls include aid in capturing criminals, as well as protective work. As a constant companion of the patrolman, the Airedale Terriers are considered good detectives. At a word, they will rush like a flash around the house and with their sharp eyes and keen sent track down a burglar or marauder in a jiffy. When regular police service adults can be put on guard at the door of a house and no one will be permitted to pass in or out. If one is rational to try it, the dog will knock them down and throw his heavy body upon the man’s breast and hold him until the police master comes to take charge of the prisoner.

Court New York Gunmen
The New York Police Department has a squad of 16 police dogs. The animals have made a surprising record they're being credited with the capture of many thieves and some notorious criminals. To show the efficiency of these dogs in service there it is recalled that dog trials and competitions recently held in Van Cortlandt Park to police dogs assisted in capturing of four gunmen who attempted to hold up a citizen.
A policeman was within 100 yards of the scene of a daring hold-up. Blowing his whistle, the officer came to the rescue of the gunman’s victim. Two police dogs that had been on exhibit at the exhibition leaped behind the policeman and in less time than it takes to tell if the animals had thrown the three gunmen to the street, while the other dog, leaping on a taxicab in which the robbers came upon the scene, pulled the fourth thief – “The Chauffeur” – from his seat. Without the police dogs, it is believed the policeman would have been able to capture only one of the four highwaymen, the others escaping while the copper was grappling with his prisoner. (Sure interrogation would have gotten the names of the other 3, but by the time they were apprehended, who knows what crime they may have committed!)
Among the several breeds of dogs that have been trained as police dogs are the Doberman Pinscher, the Rottweiler, and the Airedale Terriers. Some of these types of dogs are not reliable because they are full of the fighting spirit, which diverts them from serious work.

Their Great Protectors
Police dogs are, “one master” dogs and, “one purpose” dogs. They inherit the trait to be vigilant, to protect life, and property. Before it was discovered that these breeds were invaluable for police and protective work they were valued for their vigilance in minding sheep, cattle and other pasture animals.
The Airedale Terriers don’t need patting, just a part of thanks when they perform a service. They are not pets, but service, says Maj. Richardson, who has furnace police dogs to authorities in all countries, as well as to the royal family of Britain the German Kaiser, and Czar of Russia. And for us Marie of Russia, the Queen of Spain, the Quinn of Wartburg, the queen of Sweden, the French Prime Minister, and many others, as well as to police departments in this and other countries.

“The dogs,” he says, “must be handled intelligently and disciplined if they are to do good work, and not have everyone petting them or giving them orders.”

It is expected that the police dogs will arrive in Baltimore within a month. The two policemen it will be given the custody of the dogs will care for them at their homes, being amply repaid by the police board for the costs incidental to their maintenance.

How They Will Work Here

at 7 o’clock at night each of the patrolmen will leave his home accompanied by the police dog and the animal will journey with him around the beat. From then until 4 o’clock in the morning they will patrol the streets, the dog’s mouthing and scale ahead of the patrolman, making detours around houses, and small streets and alleys bent on coming across any possible marauders.

Should the police dog discover a suspicious individual it hurries back to the patrolman and the officer investigates. If the four-footed member of the force has found a man who looks suspicious, the patrolman gets busy. If the stranger puts up a struggle, the policeman has a valuable helpmate in the patrol dog.
Maybe it would be well for the man inclined to carry home in the “wee small hours” a “bundle of cheer” to use a taxicab, should he live on the post of the patrolman who has a helpmate a police dog. It might cause him some embarrassment to have a police dog suspect him, for the dog can always discriminate between a worthy citizen in a pickled state and a second story man on a professional burger and.

It would scarcely be pleasant for the innocent but uncertain citizen going along on one leg to begin front with a big police dog. The “R-r-r-o-w-w-o-f!” My get on his nerves.

Subordinate Protector

However, it will give much satisfaction to residents of the outlying sections to know that while they are in the arms of "Morpheus"a patrolman’s aid, the police dog, is stepping so quietly, running around their homes, that a burglar can’t hear the snout are. It is the police dogs duty to find for the patrolman those who have no business in a neighborhood so they can be questioned and locked up if suspected of being one and ill bent mission. They can find such persons a lot surer then can the patrolman, who cannot be on the job as quickly as the dog, because his footsteps might be heard.
Should these four-footed members of the police force get in “Dutch” with their superiors: should they fail to perform their duty as a real good policeman said, what punishment is to be matted out to them by the commissioners? This is the question Marshall Carter and Deputy Marshal House ask yesterday: “the dog policemen being official members of the force, but not human citizens responsible for their acts, what will we do if it is necessary to preferred charges against them?”

At any rate, the police board feels that the police dogs will be a real and invaluable service to the department. If they are found to be of value to the force, as they have been to other cities, it is likely that the squad will be augmented. It is pointed out that in the suburban sections of the city great need is felt for more policeman. The dogs, which cost $51 each, will, it is hoped, help fill the much-needed gap in the service until the next legislature meets when the Gen. assembly possibly will increase the force by not less than 100 patrolman

1914 -1916 - "Luxe" and "Morpheus" Baltimore’s first actual police dogs - This is a little-known fact, but while not an official unit, Baltimore had two police dogs at their call when two Airedale Terriers from London came to enroll as members of our police force. Their owners learned two dogs were already here, privately owned, one belonging to a Mr. Jere Wheelright, and the other to a Dr. Henry Barton Jacobs.

“Luxe,” Mr. Wheelright's dog was a superb example of a highly trained equine aristocrat, big, powerful and intelligent to a degree that he was truly remarkable.

It would be 42 years before we would have an official K9 Unit, but off-and-on, since 1914, we had Police Dogs used in both a private and official capacity.

1948 - Socolow McGee - 18 Dec 1948 McGee as this dog was known, was killed in the line of duty while patrolling the Central District, he was struck by a car, that car rushed him to an emergency Veterinarian Hospital where he was pronounced dead. This based on the following Sun Paper Article dated 19 Dec 1948

1956 - We establish an official unit, 17 April, 1957 it was officially a unit, all trials had been complete, and concidered a success, so with an official methodology that would go on to become known worldwide as the best K9 unit in the country, a system that would be the model for other K9 units around the country, and around the world. The system became known as the Baltimore method, as we were the first to have the handler take their dog home at the end of the shift to become part of the handler's family. Prior to this, dogs either went into a kennel at night, or took off with a handler from the next shift.

 

Courtesy Ret LT Bob Wilson

18 Sep 1914

TO TRY POLICE DOGS

Department Here Will Use Belgian Hounds In Suburbs.

THEIR JOB TO CHASE CROOKS

Success In Other Cities Prompts Experiment Here For Detection and Protection,

Four Belgian hounds, trained to attack a burglar or murderer or to assist anyone who needs protection, will soon be doing police duty for the Baltimore Police Department in the suburban districts. At a meeting of the Police Board Wednesday it was decided to give the police dog a tryout in Baltimore and Marshal Carter and Deputy Marshal House were instructed to create a dog squad as an aid to policemen who work extensive posts. As soon as the dogs are bought they will be placed in the custody of four-night policemen, who will care for them, being amply repaid for the care by the department. While the board's action is one of an experiment it is believed that the dog squad will meet with favor and be an important adjunct of the police force. The policemen who will have the dogs as aids will take them from their homes directly to their posts. Journeying with the policemen the dogs will work until 5 o'clock in the morning. The dogs will be taught to make detours around houses to detect possible marauders.

The record of police dogs in New York, Brooklyn and cities of the West is said to be a surprising one, many notable captures having been made by the animals. According to Marshal Carter and Deputy Marshal House, the Belgian hounds can be trained in criminal detection as well as in protective work. As a constant colleague of the patrolman and as a detective he is considered by police as invaluable. "When the dogs are in regular police service," declared Deputy Marshal House, “They can be put on guard at the door of a house and no one will be permitted to pass in or out. If one is rash enough to try it, the dog will knock him down and sit on him. He does this by getting between the legs of the would-be fugitive and causing him to lose his balance and fall." Marshal Carter said last night that he would arrange immediately to get at least four dogs in the department within the next two weeks. It is expected that a Belgian bound will cost about $100. Marshal Carter was in Milwaukee several years ago and in looking over the police situation he learned of the work that the Belgian police dogs do there. This is only one of the many new ideas that the Police Board has to better the police system. It is probable that within the next six months the department will Increase the dog squad.

Dog Shoots Officer

10 Feb 1974

Dog Triggers Officer’s injury

A Southern District Police Officer, Austin L. Harres, was accidentally shot in the right foot with a householder’s high powered pistol last night while checking a report on a suspected break-in in Cherry Hill. According to police, a dog caused the blast from a .357 magnum pistol that pierced Officer Harres's foot; near the toes. He was in satisfactory condition in Mercy Hospital last night. The officer and Russell Brown, of the 600 block Cherrycrest road, were combing the vicinity at about 9.30 P.M. Mr. Brown, the complainant, was carrying the pistol when his dog jumped on him, triggering the gun, police said.

K9 Dogs Lost in the Line of Duty

1948 - 18 December 1948 - We lost fellow officer K9 Dog Socolow McGee 
1971 - June 1971 - We lost fellow officer K9 Dog Shane 
1972 - 23 April 1972 - We lost fellow officerK9 Dog Duke  
1982 - 12 July 1982 - We lost fellow officer K9 Dog Sultan 

Dog Policeman Killed on Duty

19 Dec 1948

Dog Policeman Killed on Duty

Four – Footed volunteer struck by a car while on his beat  Funeral services for Patrolman Socolow McGee, who has killed yesterday 18 December 1948 in the line of duty, will be held tomorrow morning at the Oakley Cemetery, in the 8400 block of Oakley Road. Patrolman McGee, a dog adopted by central district police two years ago, was struck and killed by an automobile at Baltimore and Front streets yesterday afternoon while he was patrolling his regular beat. According to Patrolman William Hogan and Halley Schreiber, Patrolman McGee was following them along Baltimore Street and he was struck by a car as he crossed Front Street. The motorist took the Patrolman to a veterinarian’s office in the 100 block of S. High St., where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Usual Schedule on Beat

It was according to police, a bit unusual for Patrolman McGee to be on duty during the daytime, his normal shift being from 8 PM until 8 AM. Forever since he was adopted by the central district, he would report in at 8 PM trot around his beat – bounded by Baltimore Street, and Fallsway, Asquith and Hillen streets – check back in the station at midnight and go back out until 8 AM After learning of his death last night, businessmen along the beat made the arrangements for the funeral. The pallbearers have not yet been announced  After this we lost three more dogs, Two in the 1970's and one in the 1980's what follows are the newspaper articles from the 1972 and 1982 Sun Paper reports

 Courtesy Mark Frank
Great 1950's K9 unit new grounds

Memorial Plaque Present

August 1971

On August 16, at the monthly meeting of the K-9 law enforcement Association, Officer. David Stuller of the tactical section K-9 unit was presented with a plaque to commemorate the loss of his dog, Shane, who died in the line of duty in June 1971. The plaque was presented by Commissioner Donald D. Pomerleau and Association President Paul Mossberg of the Frederick City Police Department at the meeting which was held at the Stafford Hotel. The presentation was also attended by Deputy Commissioner Frank J. Battaglia, Lt. Col. Donald T. Shanahan, Capt. Francis X. Hayes and Lieut. Horace M. Lowman.

K-9 Dog Plunges to Death

24 Apr 1972

K-9 Dog Plunges to Death

A city police K-9 unit dog plunged to his death from the sixth-floor roof of a downtown department store while his master was investigating a store burglary yesterday morning. Patrolman Samuel Spalla said his dog Duke preceded him out the door to the roof and Jumped over the parapet of the Hochschild-Kohn store when the policeman called him to come back. John B. Starnes, 71, the store watchmen, had called police after he chased a burglar upstairs from the first-floor watch shop about 10:45 AM Mr. Starnes said the watch case had been forced open and several items scattered on the floor. He had no estimate of the value of the items taken. Police said the door leading from the employees’ lounge to the roof had been forced and that the burglar apparently escaped through the door and down the fire escape to an alley

 

Tear Gas Ends 23-Hour Standoff

13 July 1982

Tear gas ends 23-hour Standoff

A 34-year-old man who barricaded himself for 23 hours in a West Baltimore row house and apparently killed a police dog sent in after he surrendered to police last night after officers shot tear gas cartridges into the residence. The man came out at about 8:30 PM 15 minutes after police issued an ultimatum. Dennis S. Hill a departmental spokesman said the man carried a 32 caliber handgun, but pointed at the ground and was not threatening when the siege ended. He was handcuffed by police and taken to bond secure hospital for observation. The man had made no demands and police originally planned to wait until he came out by his own choice. Families evacuated from adjoining houses wanted to return to their homes, however, and police decided to end the standoff “because it had become a neighborhood problem,” Mr. Hill said, “We decided that it would be in the best interest of everyone if he came out,” the spokesman said. About 1:30 PM yesterday, two K-9 officers broke down the front door of the house in the first block north through the street and sent in two German shepherds. The door apparently had been nailed shut. One of the dogs, Sultan, ran into the first-floor kitchen and was shot in the neck with a 12 gauge shotgun. The animal was rushed to a veterinarian’s office where he had died. A shotgun was found in the house after the barricaded man came out. No charges have been filed last night, Mr. Hill said. The house, occupied by the man’s father, was broken into about 9:30 PM Sunday. The father, who apparently was the only person there, left soon afterward. The man’s father and a psychiatrist yesterday repeatedly tried to talk to the man, through both bullhorns and the telephone but received no response. Usable warns police officers told the man about 8:15 PM that they would fire tear gas into the house if he did not come out in 15 minutes. He did not, and the dart size cartridges called “ferrets” were fired through the windows. About seven minutes later, he emerged to the front door.

Except for the shooting, the scene around the barricaded house was calm most of yesterday. Children raced in front of the television cameras, 10-speed bicycles passed through the crowd being held back by police cordons, and a snowball stands a half block away did brisk business. About 100 neighborhood residents watched the house from the front steps of nearby houses.

Courtesy Mark Frank
"Fritz"

Fritz Sets Out to be Policeman's Best Friend

16 July 1983

Fritz Sets Out to be Policeman's Best Friend

One year ago, city Police Officer Vernon and Holly buried his partner, a German Shepherd name Sultan, who was killed while working in West Baltimore yesterday, the officer formerly teamed up with a new partner, a two-year-old, 95 – pound dog named Fritz, during a graduation ceremony in Druid Hill Park. He was one of seven officers – two from North Carolina, one from Anne Arundel County and four from the city – who completed a 14-week session with their dogs at the city’s canine training grounds in Curtis Bay. The event also was used to unveil the departments first attempt at maintaining a permanent police presence in the park; a new headquarters for the 50 member K-9 unit. The $200,000 facility, located near the children’s zoo, was prized by some community leaders who attended the ceremony as a sign that the city is trying to make the park safer. The one-story brick building featured spacious air-conditioned candles for nine police dogs at a time. Of those will leave their dogs at the kennels when appearing in court or writing reports. Except for mandatory roll call appearances, officer Holly and Fritz will not spend much time together in the new building. The team officially begins its patrol Monday. Officer Holly said he was looking forward to working with Fritz, he said he wanted to be careful not to compare him to his previous partner Sultan “every day I remind myself not to compare dogs” officer Holly said, “it’s like an omen to ask this dog to fill the shoes of another it’s unfair. “You don’t want to compare, but you do want to make sure that he’s better. It’s like a father with one child; you want him to have everything you didn’t.” Sultan died from a gunshot blast last July after officers broke down the door of a West Baltimore row house where an armed, mentally disturbed man had barricaded himself in held police at bay for 23 hours. Sultan confronted the man inside the kitchen and was wounded in the neck. He died a short time later the veterinarian’s office. Officer Holly said that although his new partner is trained to sniff out drugs in explosives and search buildings, Fritz seems to have a certain aptitude for two other activities for which he was not trained. “He’s a freak for catching frisbees and tug-of-war games,” Ofc. Holly said, smiling while his six-year-old son, Vernon Junior, playfully demonstrated Fritz’s tenacious refusal to release a Long stick from his mouth. Despite some powerful seemingly tooth-jarring pulls from young Vernon, Fritz held on easily and even appeared disappointed when the youngster tired of playing. As in most police departments, Baltimore police dogs go home with the officers and assume a second role as a family pet, who, like their masters, work for the city. Let the police horses and other dogs the department has, Fritz was donated. His former master, Teresa likens, a Perry Hall, said her family was too busy to give the animal the attention it deserved. She said she decided to give him to the department when she heard the police could use good animals. As of yesterday’s ceremonies, police Commissioner Frank J Battaglia said building the K-9 “many police district” in Druid to a Hill Park will make the park safer and more attractive for families. Judy Morris, head of friends of Druid Park, who was attending the ceremony with her children, said the city’s decision to put a permanent K-9 police station in the park was the first step in a long-range plan to improve the image and condition of Druid Hill Park. “We’ve been working with the police department a long time to upgrade the park, “Mrs. Morris said, “I definitely think more families will come over here now, and it’s a nice way to introduce kids to the police.”

Courtesy JoAnn Oliphant Voelker 
1964 K9 Unit with OfficerJames Pate

 Sunpaper Pic

Sunpaper pic

Baltimore's Oldest Police K9 Dies

21 December 2006

There is sad news from the Baltimore Police Department, as the oldest veteran of its renowned k-9 unit has died. “Reno” was 14, and served 11 years as Officer Jerry Turpin's partner, before failing hips, caused him to be put down. With tears in his eyes, Turpin, a 26-year veteran of the force, says "I've lost my best friend. Nobody will ever know what goes on between an officer and his dog." Reno and Jerry hit the streets in 1996 and were inseparable until Reno was injured in the line of duty. In 2005 Reno fell through a window while in pursuit of a suspect which lead to his retirement as a result of the injuries. Reno's sister “Imka” has become Jerry's new partner. There are 28 canines on the city police force which, celebrated its 50th anniversary March 2006

The Canine (K-9) Corps

SGT. IRVIN MARDERS & K-9 "VICTOR"

 

 

OFFICER IRVIN MARDERS IN 1956

TRAINING THE K-9 TO RESPOND TO AN ARMED PERSON AND PROTECT THE OFFICER

OFFICER HUGH MILLS far left.

BALTIMORE POLICE COMMISSIONER JAMES HEPBURN

OFFICER IRVIN MARDERS WITH THE 1ST. K-9

MAJOR VON GRUNTS, BALTIMORE'S 1ST K-9 DOG

K-9 UNIT ESTABLISHED 1956

 

 

Services set for Irvin E. Marders, Police Veteran

3 Aug 3, 1986

Service is Set for Ret. Sgt. Irvin E. Marders, Police Veteran

Funeral services for Ret. Sgt. Irvin E. Marders, a retired Police Department Sgt. who helped organize the city’s canine corpse, will be at 11:30 AM tomorrow at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens, 200 Padonia Rd. A graveside service will follow at 2 PM at the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. Ret. Sgt Marders died Thursday after he suffered a heart attack at his home on Walnut Avenue in Owings Mills. He was 65. Called ace by his friends, Ret. Sgt. Marder was widely known for his work over the years in Veterans Affairs. His most recent project was the establishment of a fallen hero’s day, which was observed for the first time in May, to honor fallen members of the Police and Fire Departments. With the rank of first Sgt., he served in 1942 to 1946 in the South Pacific with the Army engineers, 32^nd division. He was awarded the Purple Heart. While in the Army he was graduated as a dog trainer from the San Carlo center in California. He later received certification from the Maryland police training commission, qualifying him to teach canine procedures. He joined the Baltimore Police Department in 1947 and was a member of the force for 28 years, as one of the organizers of the K-9 unit in 1956, he was master handler of Major, one of its first two K9 Dogs along with Major Von Grunts, was Turk the two were the first two dogs to serve as K( for the city of Baltimore. When he retired there were 86 dogs in Baltimore's K-9 force, a force that was listed as the best in the country.

Ret. Sgt. Marder wrote the book on K9 Handling, literally, he wrote a book called, "How to use dogs effectively in Modern Police Work" a book that not only sold well, but became the go-to book in law enforcement, and is of this day almost impossible t find a copy, those that have them are holding them and those that are selling want top dollar. Ret. Sgt. Marders was commander of the Baltimore police post of the veterans of foreign wars in 1954 and 1955. He served as the state commander in 1960 and 1961. Ret. Sgt. Marders, a member of the disabled American veterans in Towson, had been the Davis legislative representative in Annapolis and at the time of his death was a judge advocate of the organization. He was also a member of the American Legion, post 116. He had attended law enforcement classes at Northwestern University, he was a member of the national police bloodhound Association.

Ret. Sgt. Marders was active in the Maryland state law enforcement officers Association; the fraternal order of police Lodge number three; the Sons of Confederate veterans; the Veterans Association of the 32^nd division in Wisconsin in the international police Association, region 16, and Towson. For many years Ret. Sgt. Marders lobbied for state funding of grave liners for burial plots for veterans, a measure which legislation finally passed this year.  He is survived by his wife of 43 years, the former Catherine HUD Berg; his mother, Lillian Gephardt; a brother, Earl T. Marders; a daughter, Jay. Lynn Galardi; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. All are from Baltimore.

Robert A Miller w/ Tuefel

Officer Miller w/ Buddy

July 12, 1957, Sergeant Wilbert Sudmeier (far right.)

The Baltimore Police Department possessed one of the largest canine units in the United States and were experimenting with a new method of training that came to be known as the “Baltimore Method”. The “New Method” of training dictated that the canines be sociable, allowed to be in and around the general public, and reside in the handler's residence. Most canines up to this point were extremely aggressive and kenneled when not in use. The Baltimore method is still one of the most prevalent training methods in the United States. 

Photo courtesy Cindy Stickline-Rose

Officer William Stickline with his wife, Fay, daughter Joyce, son Ed, and Serga.

Mrs. Stickline is pregnant with another child at this time, another daughter named Cindy.

Cindy, as she grew up, became very attached to both dogs her father had while serving in the K9 unit. This shows just how a K9 dog becomes a member of the officer’s family

ARTICLE ON BALTIMORE’S K-9 UNIT

This was made in Photoshop for Bill Hackley a few years back

Courtesy of Steve Sturm
Painted by Me

 AT PRATT AND CALHOUN STREETS

1963 FORD K-9 WAGON AT K-9 HQ.

K-9 UNIT: An Asset To Patrol

April 1974

His badge number is 182. He has been a member of the Department for over two years and has never driven a radio car. He works shift work and always has a driver who takes him to calls all over the city. All of his meals are supplied and paid for by the department. He received fourteen weeks of intensive training after he passed a rigorous physical examination and goes back to school for two days about every three weeks for retraining. If you believe he is receiving preferential treatment, you are right. He is four years old, his name is "Happy," and he is a four-legged member of the Department's Canine Unit. The Unit was formed in 1957 with two K-9 teams consisting of a dog and a handler. This Unit has expanded to its present authorized strength of forty-two teams. These dogs and handlers are on patrol around the clock manning downtown and hospital area foot posts as well as motorized patrol in specially selected areas of the city. While on their posts these units are available to assist other units of the Patrol Division whenever their specialized skills become needed. The development of a team into a useful tool in law enforcement requires a dedicated and capable handler, a specially selected dog and a highly skilled team of instructors. The Department, by successfully combining these elements, has gained an international reputation for proficiency in the use of Canines. Police representatives from other departments throughout the United States and other countries as well, have visited the training complex. Many have had units of their own trained by the Department. Representatives have come to the K-9 Training Center from Alabama, Montana, Louisiana and from as far away as South Vietnam, Peru, Hong Kong, and Guyana. The handlers are selected on a voluntary basis from among experienced sworn personnel. Before he is accepted the Officer is screened. He must have a residence suitable for properly caring for the dog and his family must be willing to receive the new member into their household. This process also includes detailed interviews and psychological testing.

Another unusual breed is the Rottweiler. Gus, now a member of the Department's K-9 Unit, represents a breed which qualifies as one of the first working dogs. Their history dates back to the Roman Empire when they were used to herd cattle. The Rottweiler is about the same size as the traditional Shepherd but the similarity ends there. His coat is short and is always black with tan markings on the muzzle, cheeks, chest, and legs. Attributes of the Rottweiler in law enforcement are his intelligence, size, steadiness and a good sense of smell. The dog is well muscled and compact. His demeanor is dignified and he is not easily excited. Gus, who has been on the street for just a few weeks has never failed to energetically perform the many tasks assigned to him. Gus, who is handled by Officer Tobe A. Morrow, is the first Rottweiler utilized by the Department. Both Bruiser and Gus have taken their place within the K-9 Unit and have been accepted as members of the Baltimore Police Department. Members of the Department are invited to stop and meet them as they patrol their assigned areas or call for aid whenever their expertise can be helpful to assist in unusual situations. Their handlers are used to answering the many questions that come their way. As for the dogs. . . you should meet them. They can be very friendly

Officer Bob McCall (R) with his K9 partner on patrol in the downtown area

Called to Give My All

  Baltimore's Oldest Police K9 Dies

K-9 Corps The Baltimore Police Department, famous for its superior K-9 unit, was somewhat taken back by this recent incident: Returning home from work, a woman was shocked to find her house ransacked and burglarized. She telephoned the police at once and reported the crime. The police dispatcher broadcast the call on the channels and a K-9 unit patrolling nearby was the first to respond. As the K-9 officer approached the house with his dog on a leash, the woman ran out on the porch, shuddered at the sight of the cop and his dog, then sat down on the steps put her face in her hands and moaned, "I come home to find all my possessions stolen. I call the police for help, and what do they do?" "They send me a BLIND policeman!" 

Life Of A Police Dog

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