Oxford Police Officer Ryan Sikora holds his dog, and the force's newest addition to the canine unit, Scarlet, a 2 1/2-year-old bloodhound.
The Oxford Police Department (OPD) added a new, droopy face to its force over the summer: a 2 1/2-year-old bloodhound named Scarlet.
She joins OPD's other police dogs Simon and Dover, two German Shepards. However, Scarlet is unique to the force because of her natural ability of scent discrimination in tracking, according to her handler and owner, Officer Ryan Sikora.
"Scarlet was already naturally trained to smell and track, the (Campbell County) search and rescue program trained her to be a useful police tool," Sikora said. "It also trained me to handle her properly in search and rescue operations."
Scarlet is different than David and Simon because she is technically Sikora's pet, he said. He bought her from local breeder Anissa Miller at Rose Hill Bloodhounds in February. Since bringing her home, he has been traveling to Campbell County, Ky. with Miller to train with the search and rescue program there.
Sikora approached Sgt. Tom Horvath, head of the canine unit at OPD, about bringing Scarlet on as an additional nose to the force.
"(Sikora) was interested in the breed already, we recognized her as another helpful tool we could use in specific situations, and he already had the proper certifications for the dog," Horvath said. "Her capabilities are totally different from the German Shepards."
Scarlet is not a patrol and narcotics dog like Simon and David, according to Sikora. She is not placed on patrol shifts, but only retrieved from Sikora's home when the situation calls for it.
In 2005, this sort of tragic situation did occur. According to Horvath, an elderly Alzheimer's patient wandered away from his home with no lead or trail to follow him. It took several weeks for OPD to track and locate the man's remains.
"(OPD) want(s) to avoid situations like that in the future with a tool like a bloodhound," Horvath said.
Horvath also pointed out that his canine unit has received awards for being top five in regional competitions for David and Simon, squaring up against older and larger forces such as the Cincinnati Police Department. He said he expects Sikora and Scarlet will add to the success of the unit with continued, intensive training for the bloodhound.
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Sikora says that he personally trains with her at least an hour a week doing different exercises and practice, ranging from breaking and entering cases to situations involving tracking around water. Overall, he says that Scarlet makes his job as a police officer more enjoyable while making his police force more capable.
"There is nothing better than going to work with my dog," Sikora said. "To me, it doesn't feel like work when Scarlet is out with me."
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