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OPD canine serves as additional drug officer, friend

Oxford Police Department's 80 lb. German shepard, Dover, has discovered nearly $35,000 worth of drug money.
Oxford Police Department's 80 lb. German shepard, Dover, has discovered nearly $35,000 worth of drug money.

Tom Segell

Oxford Police Department's 80 lb. German shepard, Dover, has discovered nearly $35,000 worth of drug money.

"Oxford Police canine unit, surrender now, or I release my dog," Sgt. David King of the Oxford Police Department (OPD) yells as his standard warning.

If anyone ever finds him or herself in this unfortunate situation, they are advised to quickly abandon thoughts of flight, or even fight. Instead, he or she should heed King's words and avoid the painful, bone-shattering consequences of meeting Dover, the formidable police dog, as he sinks his mighty jaws into a criminal's forearm and throws him or her down with fury and expertise.

This given scenario would just be another day at the office for Dover, an 80 lb. German shepherd.

Dover is a member of the OPD canine unit, established in the early 1990s, and is an invaluable asset to the department due to the amount of drugs he uncovers and the loyal protection he offers on a daily basis, according to King.

"If Dover hits on a car with drugs in it, that's all the probable cause we need to search it out," King said. "He sniffs out stuff that we can't detect otherwise."

Dover's primary skill and use as a police dog is unearthing dangerous narcotics flowing in and out of Oxford. Dover has accounted for nearly $35,000 in confiscated drug money, according to King.

Miami University first-year Matt Fischbach said he was not aware of OPD's canine unit or the abundance of drugs in Oxford.

"A canine unit sounds pretty intense," Fischbach said. "I didn't know there was that much drug activity here."

OPD's canine unit is small, but highly effective. Accompanying Dover is fellow German shepherd Simon and a tracking bloodhound named Scarlett. Dover's aggressive disposition has led to a new rule in the department - he and Simon are not to be in the same room for any reason or a vicious fight will ensue, according to King.

"Typically, aggression is higher in males and this is definitely true with Dover," King said. "If the other canine was in here, it'd be nasty."

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Despite his fearsome qualities, Dover can be as friendly as a puppy. Dover and the other dogs partake in various public relations events - attending schools to be petted by small children or shown throughout the community for educational purposes, Sgt. Jim Squance said.

"The dogs do more than drug work and physical apprehension," Squance said. "They're out in the community, hanging out at schools. We have a canine class in the summer."

While ample credit is due to Dover for his prowess as a police dog, his handler and co-worker, King, is solely responsible for his training and life as a police dog.

Dover, originally from the Czech Republic, had extensive training to become a police dog as a puppy, and King still puts Dover through training exercises to keep him sharp.

Additionally, King must maintain and preserve Dover's obedience and loyalty on the job. Dover and King operate as a cohesive unit, and by gauging the amount of time they spend together, they should be.

After a full day of apprehending criminals and uncovering drugs, the duo heads home where family life - not police work - intervenes.

For King, home is a place he can relax with his wife, play with his two small children and inevitably spend some more time with Dover.

"I'm with him more than I am with anybody else," King said. "It really is ridiculous how much he follows me around at home. If I go to the bathroom or leave him for a minute or two in the house, he goes nuts, crying like a little baby."

Dover's unwavering adoration and loyalty to his handler is evidenced within the King household. Once, King's 4-year-old yanked on Dover's ear, and Dover painfully whimpered and grimaced. Thinking this was unusual, King took Dover to the local veterinarian, where it was discovered Dover had a throbbing ear infection. When the veterinarian inspected Dover's ear, Dover almost mauled his face, but he did not attack King's child.

Although Dover acts more like a regular dog when at home, he is keenly aware of when he can play and when he must work.

"He's very serious at work, he doesn't let anybody play with him," King said. "He knows when the uniform comes on, and its time to do some work."

As King playfully jabs at his dog on the ground floor of the police station, he mentions a dark and somber possibility, as his smile fades.

"There may be a time when he has to save my life," King said. "If we have a break-in or a hostile situation where we don't know what is inside, we'll send the canines in to see if they have guns or knifes and scope out the danger. It'd crush me to see that ever happen, but we know it comes with having a police dog."

If that grim hypothetical ever happened and Dover was killed in the line of duty, the crime is the same as killing a human officer, King said.

The severity of the crime and punishment speaks to the importance of police dogs.

"You're saying I'd go to jail for many, many years for killing a dog?" Miami sophomore Ryan Verbic said. "That doesn't seem right, but I guess the dogs are legitimate officers."

King said he thinks of Dover as his partner in fighting crime.

"As far as officers, Dover's my partner," King said. "Which is funny because, in spirit, he's my dog, but he's technically the property of the city."

Dover, who will turn five in July, has a few more years of physical apprehension and drug work left in his tank before he officially retires, King said.

"After he's done and old, the city will sell him to me for a buck or something, and then he'll just be a dog," King said.