Two trained dogs join Nassau police force
The newest members of the Nassau County Police Department will be trained to locate narcotics, sniff out bombs and hopefully earn some treats along the way.
K9’s Codi and Shammy, who recently completed a six-month training academy, earned their badges Thursday, which they will wear on their collars.
"These highly-trained new members of our family; new members of our team, are experts at tracking evidence," said Nassau County Executive Laura Curran during a ceremony in East Meadow. "Experts at finding missing persons and so many other functions."
The four-legged officers cost $8,200 each and were donated by members of the Nassau County Police Foundation. They join the seven dogs already in the Nassau police K9 Unit.
Codi, a 2-year-old Belgian Malinois, was born in the Netherlands and is assigned to Police Officer Emmanuel Anglade, who joined the department in 2016 and transferred to the K9 Unit last year. Codi will begin training in September to detect bombs and other explosive devices.
Shammy, a 2-year-old German shepherd-Belgian Malinois mix was born in the Czech Republic and is assigned to Police Officer Rory Kerley, who joined the department in 2015 and transferred to the K9 Unit in 2020. Shammy will be trained to detect and locate illegal narcotics.
The dogs will live, work and train with their two-legged partners.
"This is their partner," said Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder. "They'll stand tall with their partner."
And while dogs have proved valuable, particularly in helping locate lost children, Ryder said their greatest value is a public relations tool to build trust in the community. In recent days the dogs visited schools in Roosevelt, Uniondale, Westbury, Elmont and Oceanside, Ryder said.
"It's a way of getting out and letting people see what the police department is all about," he said.
Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.
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Newsday Live Author Series: Bobby Flay Newsday Live and Long Island LitFest present a conversation with Emmy-winning host, professional chef, restaurateur and author Bobby Flay. Newsday food reporter and critic Erica Marcus hosts a discussion about the chef's life, four-decade career and new cookbook, "Bobby Flay: Chapter One."
