APD ready for new K-9

Photo by Paul Robeson, Reporter

Photo by Paul Robeson

The excitement of getting a new K-9 at the Anderson Police Department (APD) was evident on the face of Captain Robert Kirvin as he spoke about the upcoming training and adjustment period for Officer Steve Harper.

Harper, who will be getting the dog, was picked from five candidates who applied to the K-9 program at APD. The department previously had a K-9 that was retired in November 2006.

Kirvin explained how donations raised last year helped purchase the new dog and restart the K-9 program. Meeks Lumber and Hardware, on Eastside Road in Anderson, donated $13,000 from their grand opening barbecue last May to benefit the K-9 program. Donations at the barbecue totaled $6,500, so Meeks made up the remainder of the $13,000 gift.

Kirvin said that the dog was picked up last week in Menlo Park from Witmer-Tyson Imports. Officer Harper and “Nikita od Policie Ceské republiky,” or “Nikita” for short, will have a “bonding” period of three weeks. After the bonding, both Harper and Nikita will then go to Newark for four more weeks of training and basic skills.

Upon their return to Anderson, the K-9 team will then have a 60-day period of observation and evaluation by Chief Dale Webb, Captain Kirvin and Witmer-Tyson.

Harper was a Shasta County Sheriff’s resident deputy in McArthur before he joined the APD in April 2007. Harper spoke highly of Captain Kirvin bringing back the K-9 program to APD.

The combined experience of owners Randy Tyson-Witmer and David Witmer spans many years. Randy has been training dogs for over 35 years and her husband David is a retired police officer working with police dogs for 11 of his 18 years of active duty.

Witmer-Tyson Imports is currently supplying dogs and/or doing maintenance training for more than 60 agencies such as cities of Redding, San Francisco, San Jose and Woodland.

They also serve the city of Phoenix, Ariz., (Bomb) and the Counties of Kauai, Hawaii, (Narcotics) and Bonner, Idaho (Patrol and Bomb).