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Austintown police dog aids with sports security
By Greg Gulas
BOARDMAN
There are some sporting events that have simply gone to the dogs.
Then there are others that remain pretty doggone good — to watch and to play.
Then there’s patrolman Chris Collins of the Austintown Township Police Department and his canine friend, Neo, a 4-year old Belgian Malinois, who ensure that sporting events remain safe.
Speaking to the Curbstone Coaches’ Monday meeting, Collins said all police dogs are trained in their homeland before they step foot on American soil.
The dog’s new owner must then go through a rigorous training period of up to 560 hours to learn and get to know their new four-legged partner.
“All dogs come to us from Europe, are pre-trained there and we have to get to know them; not the other way around,” Collins said.
“First though we have to find a dog that accepts us, not one that will bite or show aggression toward us.”
Then, officers go through six weeks of pre-training at Shallow Creek Kennels, which is located about 45 minutes away in Pennsylvania.
The dogs then become state certified, but must get re-certified every two years, Collins said.
“That remains a very tough test on the dogs,” he said.
A 1990 Austintown Fitch High graduate, Collins is in his 18th year in law enforcement.
Neo is Collins’ second canine partner.
His first, Buck, retired after 10 years and was immediately adopted by Collins.
“I’ve been very lucky in that both dogs liked me right from the start,” he said.
“We need to get a minimum of five years of service from them as they cost approximately $15,000 each.
“They are trained in their native language so my commands are given to them in that language. I have had to learn two languages now in order to give my dogs their proper commands.”
Austintown has two police dogs. One works the afternoon shift. Neo works the midnight shift.
“We currently use our dogs for crowd control at any event, including sporting events when necessary, labor strikes in order to maintain peace and to sniff out narcotics in school lockers, cars or anything else on school grounds,” he said.
“With ground breaking already completed on the newly proposed racino on Route 46, I am sure that we will be utilized in some small way there as well.”
Collins said his brother, Lt. Tom Collins, also a member of Austintown’s police department, was his inspiration and a great teacher.
“I followed in my brother’s footsteps as he was a canine handler as well,” he said.
“I’m very fortunate to have been able to work with not only one dog, but two very special dogs. They weren’t just my partner. They’ve become a part of my family as well.”
Next week’s guest speaker will be Bob Hannon, YSU’s football play-by-play announcer and the president of the United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley.