PDs participate in K9 seminar
Officer Sumo



Martin Kreeft, a member of the Royal Dutch Police Dog Association, trains with a Dutch shepherd police dog named Sumo at the Field of Dreams in Boardman. The facility off McClurg Road was used Thursday and will be used today for training sessions.

Martin Kreeft, a member of the Royal Dutch Police Dog Association, trains with a Dutch shepherd police dog named Sumo at the Field of Dreams in Boardman. The facility off McClurg Road was used Thursday and will be used today for training sessions.
BOARDMAN
Instead of baseball players, dozens of police dogs practiced Thursday on the Field of Dreams off McClurg Road.
Boardman police coordinated a two-day police-dog training and brought instructors, such as John Brannon of Shallow Creek Kennels Inc. in Sharpsville, Pa., and Martin Kreeft, a member of the Royal Dutch Police Dog Association.
Capt. Don Lamping said two police dogs have joined Boardman’s department after their predecessors’ retirement in the last year. Private donations were used to purchase the dogs, and the remainder was used as the seed money for the seminar.
“It’s a way to give back. ... Now other departments have access to this material,” Lamping said.
Departments that attended both days of the seminar paid $200. Thirty-eight departments took part in Thursday’s training, and about 55 are expected to attend today, said Officer Daryn Tallman, who helped plan the event.
Tallman’s former police-dog partner, Yuma, retired last month. His new partner, a Dutch shepherd named Sumo, took part in the training, making it the first time many in the department have seen the new dog.
Tallman and Sumo will be patrolling the streets after their graduation from Shallow Creek Kennels on Oct. 7.
The seminar included classroom instruction on police-dog law and answering questions such as when a dog is allowed to go after a suspect. It also included practical experience, as dogs climbed through cars trying to sniff out narcotics and practiced apprehending “criminals” who were protected by a thick bite suit.
Trustee Larry Moliterno said he was pleased the township could coordinate training and thanked Field of Dreams for the use of its facility.
“We also want to thank the community for supporting these police dogs. They are a critical part of our department, and our canine division has taken a leadership role in the area,” Moliterno added.