The work just keeps coming for the furry, four-legged members of the MSU Department of Police and Public Safety.
A German Shepherd known as Chico assisted Meridian Township Police in the capture of an individual after a car chase on Sunday.
For his work, Chico and his handler, MSU police officer Chris Rozman, were presented with the "Distinguished Order of Canine Capturus," an award that is displayed on a bulletin board in the MSU police office.
The morning of the incident, an officer pulled in to check out an alarm at Walnut Hills Country Club, and a car zoomed out of the driveway, said Lt. Tom Couling of Meridian Township Police. The officer tried to stop the car, but it kept going.
"He turned down a dead-end street," Couling said. "Bad move."
The driver and passenger bailed out of the car, and that's when Chico came in. He tracked a woman to her hiding place in some bushes near Colony Drive and she later identified the second individual, Couling said.
Three dogs from the MSU police also assisted Meridian Township Police last week in a bomb threat investigation at Douglas J Day Spa Salon, 4663 Ardmore Ave. in Okemos.
The local agencies cooperate when it comes to police dogs, Couling said.
"We've used dogs from all over the place in the same way we allow our dog to assist other agencies," Couling said. "Almost 99 percent of the time, one agency has a dog on duty. Working together, it helps us be able to provide a dog."
Dogs such as Chico have made the environment safer for law enforcement officials, Couling said.
"There are more canines in law enforcement than when I got into it because it's a good tool and it provides a safer environment for officers in addition to the skills it brings," Couling said.
Chico, a five-year-old who has been with the force for almost two years, is specially trained in tracking human scent and the detection of explosives, MSU police Sgt. Florene McGlothian-Taylor said.
MSU police have four dogs which are used in different types of investigations, McGlothian-Taylor said.
"They're extremely helpful in tracking suspects, drugs and explosives," she said. "They can do a lot of things that humans can't. They're an invaluable asset to the department."
In April 2004, Chico found two people who fled Emmons Hall and were suspected of having marijuana, hiding along the river bank behind the Kellogg Center.
In February 2004, Chico helped track down a handgun that was tossed from a speeding vehicle, which was believed to be a murder weapon, McGlothian-Taylor said.
"He's done quite a bit," she said.
