Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Police K9 topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Pitman Police announce new explosives K-9, named 'Mike' in honor of mayor
Summary
Pitman officials announced the department's new single-purpose explosives dog, 'Mike,' will be handled by Corporal E.J. Parker and enter K-9 training March 7. The K-9 and upkeep are funded through public donations.
The Borough of Pitman announced Feb. 24 that the Police Department has taken on a new single-purpose explosives canine nicknamed “Mike,” to be handled by Corporal E.J. Parker.
Councilman Uyehara told the council that Chief McAteer, Deputy Chief Zander and Corporal Parker traveled to the New Jersey State Police K-9 Academy to preview the dog, and that "K-9 Mike was born in Bulgaria" and initially carried the temporary name “Mikser.” He said the department selected the working name “Mike” to use a simple, hard-consonant name and to honor Mayor Michael L. Razze Jr. for his support of the borough. The canine’s formal training at the NJSP K-9 Training Academy is scheduled to begin March 7.
Uyehara described the K-9 as a single-purpose explosives canine and said the dog and its upkeep are funded strictly through public donations. He credited vendor Bravo Team K-9 for the opportunity to evaluate the candidate. Mayor Michael L. Razze Jr. expressed appreciation for the naming honor.
The announcement included a series of recent department trainings: legal use-of-force instruction for supervisory officers, a report-writing course for patrol personnel and field officer training that included the SRO. The council did not take a formal vote on acquiring the dog during the meeting; the statement emphasized the evaluation and donation-supported acquisition.
The department will begin formal training and integration of the dog and handler in March, and the K-9 unit is expected to support operations in Pitman, Gloucester County and wherever mutual aid or requests arise.
