Pooches back on patrol in Youngstown

Ninja and Jocko’s partners want to get trading cards with the dogs’ photos.

By PATRICIA MEADE

VINDICATOR CRIME REPORTER

YOUNGSTOWN — (The “Cops” theme, sing along) “Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do — whatcha gonna do when they come for you?”

If you stop dead in your tracks, good choice.

If you run like the wind, still a good choice, but not for you — for Jocko and Ninja.

They’re large dogs trained to apprehend a runner by biting whatever body part is available, usually an arm or leg. If you stop running, they’ll bark — only — until their partner arrives.

They love their work. Their partners love them.

Reward for a job well done is a PVC pipe chew toy followed by a head snuggle and: “Oh, that’s a good boy!”

The revived Youngstown Police Department K-9 Unit is operating again with Jocko, a mottled black/brown Dutch shepherd, and Ninja, a mostly golden Belgian Malinois (pronounced mal-in-wah). The 2-year-old male dogs, after five weeks of training with their partners in Columbus, are officially on duty taking commands in Dutch and English.

New best friends

“Mine’s faster and jumps higher,” Patrolman Michael Anderson said, grinning as he rubbed Ninja’s head.

“Sixty grams of marijuana found during a traffic stop,” Patrolman Ronald Jankowski said with pride as Jocko lifted his head and their eyes met.

“Ninja just hasn’t got the big hit yet,” Anderson said, good-naturedly defending his four-legged partner.

The two-legged officers said their dogs are just regular pets when off-duty. “I can’t even take a shower without him being in the bathroom,” Jankowski said of his new best friend.

The dogs are trained to search buildings, sniff out narcotics, chase bad guys and much more. They train weekly to maintain their skills.

Demonstrations

Anderson demonstrated how Ninja would search a vehicle for narcotics by patting sections of his cruiser in quick succession. Ninja eagerly followed alongside, moving and sniffing with lightning speed.

During the exercise, Ninja’s left front paw accidentally hit the driver’s side mirror, which bent back. “Glad they’re collapsible,” Anderson said as he popped the mirror back into place.

Jankowski and Anderson’s respective cruisers have their dogs names painted in blue script on side windows. The rear seats were removed and refitted as a kennel of sorts.

If the officers are away from their cruisers and need assistance from their dogs, a handy remote opens the doors.

Jankowski and Anderson said they want to get trading cards (think baseball cards) with their dogs’ photos. The cards can be passed out when Ninja and Jocko and their handlers give demonstrations at schools and elsewhere.

Lt. David McKnight, Vice Squad commander, said Jocko and Ninja will be a big help for traffic interdiction this summer. The dogs, who work mostly at night and into the wee hours of the morning, will be used to search vehicles for drugs.

Getting the dogs

Last November, Milk-Bone and Giant Eagle presented YPD with a $5,000 check to be used toward the purchase of a dog. Since then, donations came in from the community, including $5,000 from philanthropists Tony and Mary Lariccia of Boardman.

Jankowski said the investment in each dog is around $12,000. He said they’ll stay in service five to 10 years, depending on their health.

Police Chief Jimmy Hughes said the department will likely acquire two more dogs by the end of the year. Detective Sgt. Frank Rutherford and Patrolman Greg Miller have expressed an interest in being handlers.

YPD has been without a police dog for several years and had to borrow dogs from Canfield city, Austintown, Boardman, Beaver and Poland townships and elsewhere, especially for drug sniffing and tracking.

meade@vindy.com