The life of Riley

Warwick K9 unit wins at police dog trials Warwick - Riley might seem intimidating at first, and that’s a good thing in his line of work. But when you get to know this 75-pound, two-year-old police dog, you realize he is a fun-loving, affectionate pup who just happens to be an award-winning police dog who sniffs out drugs for a living. Earlier this month, Riley showed what he’s made of at the PD1 (Police Dog) trials in Montgomery. Sponsored by the United States Police Canine Association, the largest police dog organization in the country with more than 50,000 members, Riley placed second in agility and third in obedience among 37 teams from all over New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Officer Kevin Halsey, a four-year veteran of the Warwick Police Department, has had Riley since the German Shepard was just a 10-month-old puppy. Halsey raised the $4,500 to buy the dog from a breeder in Slovakia near the former Czechoslovakia border, where the bloodline for police dogs is very strong. While Riley is a normal dog in nearly every way - he loves kids and will fetch anything you throw for him - he is trained to listen to his handler’s commands, in this case, Halsey and to protect him. The competition in Montgomery earlier this month is a good way for Halsey to gauge how Riley is doing with his training. While the officer takes Riley to the Orange County Canine Facility for training three days every month to maintain his certification, Halsey said his training is on-going and an everyday thing. “He never tires,” said Halsey with obvious pride in his partner. “I spend almost as much time with him outside of work as I do during.” Riley caught Halsey’s eye early. “I looked for a good people dog,” said Halsey. “But he is also good at judging when situations are bad. He can sense danger. He can do the job, but he can still be a pet.” Halsey’s five-year-old son and his 10 nieces and nephews like that about Riley. But Halsey likes the fact that Riley is a true deterrent to drugs. “Towns with canines have a 10 percent decrease in drugs,” Halsey said, quoting statistics. “People will fight with a cop, but they won’t fight with a dog. There is no getting around a dog.” Narcotics-sniffing dogs are trained to respond to certain smells, at first it is substances that smell like real narcotics, then it is the real drugs themselves. They are also good at sniffing out people who might be hiding. And unlike bomb-sniffing dogs who are taught to sit when they find explosives for obvious reasons, drug-sniffing dogs like Riley are more aggressive when they find what they are looking for. Riley has definitely become part of the Warwick Police Department family, as well as Halsey’s family. He loves being in the station with everyone and will be joining Halsey and his family when they go on vacation later this summer. “The idea of working with a dog always interested me,” said Halsey. “He is always with you and you are called out on more incidents.” Halsey said he and Riley are requested by neighboring departments that do not have a canine unit, such as Greenwood Lake, Florida, Goshen and the State Police. So they both get to do more of what they love to do.