New police dog joins Arlington Heights force
Arlington Heights police have a new crime-fighting canine set to hit the streets in December.
Reno, a 1-year-old German shepherd born in Slovakia, is in training school at Vohne Liche Kennels in Denver, Indiana. He will be the sixth dog to serve along officers in the department since Police Chief Gerald Mourning reinstated the canine program in 2008. Reno will replace Max, a 10-year-old German shepherd, who retired in September after eight years of service.
As a dual purpose dog, Reno is trained to find drugs and money, as well as missing persons and fleeing criminals, the department says.
But he's also a "social dog" that officers plan to showcase during public demonstrations in the community - something that police dogs of the past couldn't routinely do.
When he joins the force next month, Reno will be assigned to the midnight shift, joining two other police dogs in the department.