By Greg Forester, Staff Writer
WEST WINDSOR — Police officers are expected to continually educate themselves, learning new law enforcement skills and adopting the most modern methods available to protect the community.
For the West Windsor Police Department’s four-legged member, the expectations are no different.
Edy, a bomb-sniffing, Czechoslovakian German shepherd, and his partner — Patrolman Tom Moody — underwent training in early January to build on their detection skills.
”Now, we can track the bad guy, a missing child, or a missing elderly person,” said Officer Moody, who has been with West Windsor since 1990. “We also did a lot of work with obedience and agility.”
Edy — pronounced “Eddie”— was acquired by the police department two years ago with a $50,000 Homeland Security grant. The grant also covered a $28,000 Dodge DuRango outfitted as a K-9 vehicle, and other related supplies.
”It’s a great program that has been well utilized by us, and so far it has been cost free,” said Police Chief Joseph Pica.
The Durango has independent climate control in the rear for its special passenger, and a door that can be opened remotely, so the sable-coated dog can make an exit and begin assisting with an investigation as quickly as possible.
The January investigative training augmented 12 weeks of State Police explosives training received by the two partners in the fall of 2005, when Edy was an 8-month-old puppy.
Those new patrol dog skills have already been put to work, according to Officer Moody, who said the dog helped out with the investigation of a recent break-in, and the manhunt that took place in the neighborhoods around High School South on Valentine’s Day.
The suspect in the Valentine’s Day incident had fled on foot from the school’s parking lot, and Edy assisted police in the ensuing search. Although the team was ultimately unsuccessful in locating the suspect, Officer Moody said it was still an impressive demonstration of his partner’s new skills.
”I was able to take Edy to the front seat of the suspect’s car, and he took a big whiff,” said Officer Moody. “He tracked real well, pulling me through the schoolyard, but he lost the scent.”
Edy also assisted in a recent bomb scare at a school in Robbinsville, where West Windsor’s team and others like it helped search a middle school for explosives. Dogs from surrounding towns and Mercer County assisted in the search, Officer Moody said.
Besides his recent patrol dog training, Edy receives regular refresher courses, along with other area bomb dogs, his partner said.
The two are a true team, day in and day out, with Edy heading home with Officer Moody after work, and staying with his human partner on days off.
A large part of the impetus to develop a bomb-sniffing dog team like Officer Moody and Edy was the presence of the Princeton Junction train station, according to Chief Pica.
”We applied, and were granted primarily because we have NJ Transit in town,” said Chief Pica. “But we can use Edy for bomb scares, or any kind of threats in town.”
Although Edy is truly a valuable asset, the one thing he cannot learn to conduct is narcotics detection, police said.
That kind of training requires dogs to quickly pounce on anyone or anything concealing drugs, which is not appropriate behavior when dealing with explosives.
”They are two different kinds of reactions,” Chief Pica said.
