Stopping crime six legs at a time

WATCH: The Lethbridge Police Canine Unit has been serving and protecting Lethbridge for over 50 years. Matt Battachio joined Constable Demone and Arco for the day.

They often work under the cover of darkness, protecting our city, often unbeknownst to us. The Lethbridge Police K9 unit has been serving and protecting local residents for over 50 years.  The bond between man and dog has been critical in keeping the public safe.

One tandem that’s been critical to that safety is Constable James Demone and Arko. The two have been together ever since the dog was brought over from Holland.

“It’s been four years now that we’ve been together,” said Demone. “I do commands to Arko in Dutch, his home language. It’s just different and a lot of people don’t know it, so it can help him in certain situations.”

With a bond forged on the training field, the two have turned themselves into a formidable crime fighting duo.

“The dogs bond to us and it’s such a strong bond. It’s pretty special to be able to hang out with him all the time,” said Demone.

Police dogs and their handlers can often be put into high risk situations, but Demone finds comfort in knowing he always has his four-legged partner by his side.

“He protects me. He has a zone that he will protect. I have a pretty good partner with a pretty big set of teeth,” said Demone with a chuckle.

The K9s are critical to the police force, with their biggest weapon being their nose.

“We teach them with a command. Saying ‘Go find what’s out on this field that has human odor on it’,” said Demone. “So they’ll go find it and they’ll lay down next to it to say ‘This is something that has odor on it’. Then they’ll get a reward for it. It’s all a game to them, and they love playing it.”

A police dogs career is limited to eight years. Arko has four years of service left until it’s time to hang up his badge.  At which point, he will reap the rewards of his service.

“We can finish out the career and he can retire,” said Demone. “Then he can get cookies and table scraps and everything he couldn’t have for eight years.”