Tuesday, Mar. 29 2011 5:50PM
New police K-9 unit ready for action
Emily Jarrett, Journal Staff
Julie Scheidegger, the Journal
Lee's Summit police officer Steve Grubb and his new K-9 partner Griffin or "Griff" have been patrolling together for a couple weeks. Griff is a 2-year-old German Shepherd, dual purpose dog trained in searches, drug investigation and handler protection.
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closeWhen Lee’s Summit Police Department Master Police Officer Steve Grubb and his partner start their shift, it’s a process.
“Well, first we load the toys,” Grubb said. “And the food and snacks. Anything he’ll need.”
If it sounds like Grubb has a toddler for a partner, well, it’s because he does.
Grubb and Griff, a 2-year-old German Shepherd, are the LSPD’s newest K-9 unit.
“The two things I love are working narcotics and the K-9 unit, so this was an absolute perfect fit,” Grubb said about his new job. “We’re still new to the unit, but it’s been going great so far.”
With the addition of Grubb and Griff, the LSPD has two K-9 units, something that wouldn’t have happened without the help of Lee’s Summit CARES, a non-profit organization that works to combat substance abuse and promote youth safety.
“In 2009, we received a Drug Free Community Grant for $125,000,” said Laura DeCourcy, program coordinator for LS CARES. “We were getting to the end of the year and we still had a little money left over so we were looking for something we could do with it. We put out a safety survey every other year and something we noticed was that kids said the No. 1 deterrent for bringing drugs into school was a K-9 unit so it seemed like a no-brainer.”
K-9 units are expensive for a police department. Between the training and specialized patrol car, departments can spend up to $25,000. Not to mention the cost of the dog itself, which can run between $3,000 and $6,000. LS CARES donated $9,000 which covered the price of Griff and training.
“We couldn’t have gotten Griff without the help of Lee’s Summit CARES,” Grubb said.
As soon as the department had the money, they started the process of hiring a K-9 officer and looking for the dog.
“I’d say finding the dog was the easier part,” Grubb joked. “We have a trainer in Kingsville that has trained almost all the K-9 units in the area. Griff is actually a littermate of the Blue Springs Police Department’s new K-9, Bandit.”
Grubb had to go through an extensive interview process and training.
“I knew I wanted to be a K-9 officer so when I finally got the OK, it was great,” he said.
Grubb and Griff spent their first few weeks together training and getting to know each other’s movements. Griff is trained in tracking, open area and building searches, handler protection and drug odor detection. The partners work a 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. shift and generally switch off with the other K-9 unit.
“We have both units on during the weekends and we’ll probably continue to do that in the summer months because 7 to 3 is the busiest time for us,” Grubb said. “We cover the entire Lee’s Summit area, so whenever an officer might need us, we help out. Or, if we know there are problem areas – drug houses or helping with party patrols – we’ll do that as well.”
Grubb said Griff is a “great worker” who is always excited to go.
“When he sees me in my uniform, he knows it’s time to go to work,” he said. “He gets pretty excited when I’m suiting up and getting ready – he’s been known to literally jump through the car window to get into the car.”
And that patrol car? Specially made for the K-9 unit. Aside from having a cage for Griff in the backseat, it’s also remote controlled.
“It lets me monitor the temperature inside,” Grubb explained. “If it ever gets too hot, the AC will turn on and the windows will roll down. Or if something electrical fails, the siren will turn on and the doors will pop open so Griff can get out. A few years ago, the Independence Police Department lost a dog because of a car that failed. We don’t want something like that to happen to Griff.”
When he’s off the job, Griff gets to be a normal dog and lives with Grubb and his family.
“(Griff) didn’t like the trainer’s wife so we were a little worried about how he might react to my wife,” Grubb said. “But something just clicked and he loves her. In fact, when we’re done with our shift at 3 a.m., he always runs up the stairs and jumps on our bed to check on her. It’s a quick check then he’s right back downstairs for food and bed.”
Grubb said he is amazed at how differently Griff acts at home.
“At home, anyone can pet him and he just likes to hang out with us,” he said. “But when he’s at work, he’s in alpha dog mode. He doesn’t like strangers too close to him and he’s a little more testy.”
Currently, Grubb and the department’s other K-9 unit, officer Scott McMilian and his partner, Jax, are trying to work together.
“We want the dogs to get used to each other,” Grubb said. “It’s been hard because they’re both alpha males, but they’re getting better. We need them to be able to work together because searching a large building – like the high school for example – is a lot faster when you have two noses going.”
In the meantime, Grubb and Griff will continue to go to training and Grubb said he’s looking forward to a long career with the K-9 unit.
“Generally, K-9s are on the job for five to seven years, as long as they’re healthy,” he said. “After that, he’ll continue to live with me at home and be a regular, non-working dog. I couldn’t ask for a better partner.”
To reach Journal reporter Emily Jarrett, call 816-282-7018 or e-mail ejarrett@lsjournal.com
