News

New Canaan Police Seek Permission To Acquire Labrador Retriever As Second K-9 Dog

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Saying it would bolster the town’s efforts to rid New Canaan of drugs such as heroin, police on Wednesday proposed acquiring a second K-9 dog for the department. A Labrador retriever’s work would include drug detection and tracking—much as the dog in place since last summer, Apollo the German shepherd, performs those duties and additionally is trained for patrol and apprehension—and also would boost the department’s community relations, K-9 Officer David Rivera told members of the Police Commission at their regular meeting. “A lot of times when I do demonstrations, I restrict people petting him [Apollo]— that is just me being a good handler to the town,” Rivera said at the meeting, held at NCPD headquarters. “That being said, getting Labrador retriever, all the kids would be able to pet the lab and we would be in a really great position to provide this community with something that a lot of communities do not get, and that is interaction with police officers.”

He added: “I feel we have an opportunity in working in one of the best police departments in the state of Connecticut to have the best K-9 program. What would really help with combating the heroin epidemic and drugs we see coming into the town would be the implementation of another K-9.”

The police department’s K-9 program is paid for entirely out of a private fund that’s supported by donations.

Around Town

VIDEO: Crossing Guard Terry Darden Receives His Gift from the Community

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Bringing a Gift To Terry Darden 12 2 15

Uploaded by Michael Dinan on 2015-12-02.

The New Canaan woman who kickstarted a fundraising campaign to help out a beloved crossing guard who needed $3,000 to get his car fixed on Wednesday afternoon delivered news of a grassroots community-wide effort to help him. Terry Darden teared up when he learned (see video above) what had come so far from the Go Fund Me campaign launched by Carolyn Vermeer Ditlevsen, a South School mom who has gotten to know the crossing guard over the past few years and holds him in high esteem, as so many do. By the time he learned about it, the campaign was approaching $8,000, with more than 160 people contributing. “I just thank the Lord I have people that pass me every day, reach out and touch me like I touch other people,” Darden told NewCanaanite.com moments after receiving the gift, standing at his post by the blinking light at South Avenue and Gower Road. “This is absolutely great and I appreciate it.