New police dog, ‘Eddie,’ presented to public

With the press of a button, the door to the police car popped open, revealing the newest member of the Palo Alto Police Department. To a round of applause, Eddie the police dog bounded out of his car in front of the waiting crowd.

A crowd of around 60 people showed up to Heritage Park Saturday afternoon to meet Eddie, the second police dog acquired by Palo Alto in as many years. The event showcased Eddie as his handler, officer Brad Young, put the German shepherd through a set of commands and exercises.

Residents also had an opportunity to view the police vehicle that Young and Eddie use, which is specially equipped with a flat board in the back to accommodate the German shepherd and an automatically opening door. Members of the public were allowed to greet Eddie and Young personally. The two have been working together since April.

Palo Alto police chief Dennis Burns said the police dogs and their handlers work the night shift for them to be most effective. He also said that the dog gives an officer the advantage at night because though people can’t see as well, dogs are still are able to pick up on scents and traces.

“There’s the ability to do searches in large areas, and so they’re what we call a force multiplier,” Burns said. “If you have a dog you might need only six officers, instead of eight or ten officers to accomplish the same goal.”

Young, who has been with the department since 2008, said he believes his partner is an invaluable tool for the department.

“Dogs can … search an area, quicker, safer, and more effectively than people can,” Young said. “If the dog does not indicate that there’s somebody in the area there’s a higher probability that they’re not there. Not only that, when it comes time to arrest somebody, just the mere presence of the dog is overwhelmingly helpful in getting people to comply, so it’s safer for everybody involved.”

Eddie, who is 2 years old and from the Czech Republic, was bought in early 2013 by the department with the help of a $1,000 donation from Palo Alto resident Angie Ball. The money allowed the department to speed up the acquisition of Eddie, who Burns said cost the department approximately $10,000.

Young had to undergo an intensive month-long course with Eddie, who is trained to find the scents of suspects or missing individuals. According to Young, the training focused on commands and obedience in order for the two to work better together.

When his work-day is done, Eddie returns home with Young, who has two young daughters. Young says that Eddie is very comfortable around children and that he is not aggressive when at home. In the time that they have worked together, Young says that Eddie has figured out that the workday begins when they get close to the police station, and he is also aware that the workday ends when they leave.

Prior to Eddie’s purchase, the police department had only one dog by the name of Dag, who has been with the force since 2011 and is still an active member. The private donation from Ball was made because she wanted the police department to know of her appreciation of their work.

“I thought, ‘These police officers come in from other cities because they can’t afford to live in Palo Alto off of their salaries, they’re protecting us, they’re putting their lives on the line.’ And I feel like we should support them like we support our teachers,” Ball said.

Ball said that she left the donation to be used by the department as they saw fit because she trusted them to use it well. She hopes that her gift inspires others to give to the police department.