Mahoning sheriff gets new police dog

January 12, 2017 at 12:08a.m.

canine officer responds to commands in Dutch

YOUNGSTOWN

A newly acquired police dog will be introduced to the community at Saturday’s 7:05 p.m. Youngstown Phantoms hockey game at the Covelli Centre against the Sioux City Musketeers.

Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene showed reporters the dog, named Phantom, on Wednesday, during which the friendly and energetic dog eagerly and dutifully retrieved a baton thrown by his handler, Deputy Jeff Saluga, on a lawn behind the county jail building.

“The canine is trained to do drug sniffs, and he also takes attack commands,” the sheriff said.

“A canine is a great assistance on the road. If we get into criminal stuff, you have building searches. You have tracking. It’s also great if you have a missing child. It can track the scent of the missing child to find them. It tracks criminals,” Saluga said.

“It takes fewer police officers to search a building when you have a canine unit,” and the dog is a valuable asset in finding illegal drugs in vehicles after traffic stops, he added.

The Youngstown Phantoms are assisting the sheriff’s office in raising money to offset acquisition, training and care costs for the 21/2-year-old, 87-pound Dutch shepherd, who follows commands in Dutch.

The Fraternal Order of Police will be selling raffle tickets for $5 each or five tickets for $20 for various prizes at the game with proceeds to be used toward the costs associated with the dog.

Prizes will include a stainless-steel gas grill, a snowblower and multiple gift baskets.

Phantom and Saluga, of the sheriff’s office patrol division, will be introduced to the community between periods of the game.

Saturday is Free Youth Jersey Night for the first 750 young people attending the game.

The sheriff’s office paid $14,500 from the county’s general fund to acquire and train the dog and plans to reimburse the general fund from donations from the hockey team’s owner, Bruce Zoldan, and others, said Greene.

Besides drug sniffing, Phantom is trained in criminal-suspect apprehension, and he rides in the back of a specially equipped cruiser. He will have a working-life expectancy of six to 10 years, Saluga said.

Phantom, who lives with Saluga, was trained in Holland before coming here to further train with Saluga for four weeks at Shallow Creek Kennels in Sharpsville, Pa.

The other working dog in the county sheriff’s office is Mercy, a female Belgian Malinois drug-sniffing dog handled by Deputy Larry McLaughlin.