Deke off duty

FINDLAY — After nearly a decade of service, Findlay police K9 Deke is hanging up the leash, trading patrol duty, apprehending suspects and locating narcotics for a quiet life full of naps in the sun, keeping the neighborhood squirrels in check and chasing his ball around the yard. Deke, a 10-year-old Malinois German Shepherd mix, was retired in May and now gets to live full-time with his handler, Detective Jacob Atkins and his family. According to Lt. Andrew Welch, the Findlay Police Department has utilized K9 officers since 1991. The city invests about $10,000 per year into each dog. Utilization of K9 officers requires the department to also spend money on dedicated vehicles, tools, overtime costs and vet bills, which can present a financial challenge at times, but he believes the investment is well worth the return. When asked what led to the decision to retire Deke, Welch said the goal is never to "work a K9 to death." He noted that age, health, energy and the handler's career path all factor into retirement decisions. "Deke did the job at a high level for many years," he said, adding that it was simply the right time for Deke to retire. The department's current K9s include Axel, partnered with Officer Paul Frey, and Asa, Deke's replacement, who works with Officer Eric Lehman. Asa is the eighth K9 to serve the city. All three dogs are considered "dual-purpose," trained to locate narcotics, evidence and suspects and to use controlled biting techniques to assist officers with apprehensions. Welch said having dogs provides the Findlay police with options that may not be possible with just human personnel. Handlers are selected from a pool of current Findlay officers who have demonstrated strong performance and sound judgement, Atkins said. He was relatively new to the department when the opportunity arose and wanted to prove his worth. "I really did want to do it," Atkins said. "But I thought, 'probably not a good chance that I'm going to get it'... It was a very pleasant surprise. It really changed the trajectory of my career. It's not something that everyone gets to do." While on patrol, he said having a dog gave him confidence because it allowed him to participate in more of the department's serious calls, which allowed participation in some interesting incidents, recalling a specific call where Deke helped draw a hidden suspect out of a field. Because there is a limited number of police dogs in the state of Ohio, Atkins said he enjoyed assisting other departments when he had the chance. Deke arrived from Jessen, Germany, in 2017 as an untrained "green" dog originally named "Deki." One of Atkins' children called him "Ducky," but Atkins felt the name didn't fit a future police dog. Deke was ultimately chosen from 13 candidates for his strong toy drive and confident demeanor. "He didn't know anything other than he liked to bite a sleeve and he liked to chase a ball," Atkins said. The pair bonded quickly, so much so that Deke can be off leash and will still follow closely at his dad's side, padding along at his heels. He said that a few minutes alone would be nice at times, but with a dedicated friend at his side, he wouldn't have it any other way. But Deke's natural drive made training smooth and he soon earned the nickname "unicorn" dog among other handlers for his rare combination of level-headedness and high work ethic. Atkins said some other police dogs may struggle with not being social enough or perhaps too social and too "soft" when it came to being on the job. But he got lucky with Deke, saying that he was a perfect mix of all the necessary personality traits. After six weeks of training, Deke joined Atkins on patrol. Over the years, he helped locate shell casings, discarded weapons and evidence tossed by fleeing suspects. He helped find a suicidal individual hiding in a ravine and assisted the FBI on a few occasions. His most frequent role, however, was narcotics detection, something Deke excelled at. Atkins said the most important thing he learned from being a K9 handler was to trust the dog, referencing more than one occasion Deke located someone or something in a place Atkins didn't think was possible. Deke was trained to detect marijuana along with other narcotics. When cannabis laws changed in Ohio, Atkins said there was initial concern about how it could affect K9 operations. Locating a narcotic that is no longer considered illegal could have legal implications for both the department and the officer, since a dog's alert can no longer automatically justify a search. "Even when it went from illegal to medically legal, everybody kind of had a knee-jerk reaction of 'oh, man, this is going to be really bad," he said. Over time, he said, the transition proved far smoother than man expected, as long as officers adhered to established protocols and procedures. Though his primary function was to help fight crime, Atkins found having Deke around was a good public relations tool. Over the course of his career, Deke gave demonstrations of his skills to people of all ages and sometimes became a positive influence for someone on their worst day. Having a dog around tended to make people, including other officers, happy. Atkins said, as a police officer, members of the public aren't always very happy to see him, but Deke always found a way to make an impact. Deke could, at least in part, be the reason someone was taken into police custody and that person might say they were still happy to meet Deke. "Deke has helped facilitate charges on people and they still think it's cool," he said. "Everybody loves a dog… The public has always been very supportive." Welch said the community embraced Deke throughout his career and hopes he will be remembered as a "good boy," approachable, sociable and highly effective. Upon retirement, handlers are given the option to purchase their K9 partner from the city for $1. Welch said that separating them would be harmful to both. Reflecting on the bond he formed with his partner, Atkins got emotional, a sign he will miss having his best friend in the field with him. Atkins said Deke was the "real deal" and said he often felt like a "proud dad" when on call with Deke. "I knew the time was coming," he said. "At the same time, we've done it for so long, that's all I've ever known was him going to work with me everyday. It's been weird…He had a good run."