Monday, March 26, 2012

Canine Rasty Apprehends Armed Robbery Suspect

On March 22nd the Perry Police Department requested our assistance with tracking an armed robbery suspect.  The suspect had entered a store with a very large knife and attempted to rob the clerk.  Officer Bish and his partner, Rasty, were able to track the suspect to a nearby residence.  The suspect was later charged with Armed Robbery.

Rasty, a German Shepard and Belgian Malinois mix, joined the agency in 2009.  He is one of three canines in service for the agency.       

The Warner Robins Police Department canine program began in April 1995 with a single handler and a single purpose canine for narcotics detection.

Today, the unit has three full service canines (Ego, Ollie, & Rasty) capable of the functions in patrol, narcotics detection, & tracking.  They are used daily on traffic stops and are on call for tracking suspects or other incidents that require a canine presence. 

2011 Statistics
Requests for Canine - 200
Canine Call Outs - 25
Arrests from Canine - 37
Marijuana Seized - 291.5 grm
Cocaine Seized - 47.7 grm
Tracks Run - 55
Apprehension Deployments - 95
Community Relations Events - 45

All canine handlers and their partners received training through the Tarheel Canine, Inc. located in Sanford, North Carolina.

More information about the unit can be found at the Canine Unit page at WRPolice.org.