HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A north suburb is preparing to welcome a different kind of police dog.
The City of Highland Park is excited to welcome the newest member of the Highland Park Police Department: a highly-trained walker hound! The “pawfficer” will serve in a critical capacity as the police department’s first community service and wellness dog, assisting with emergency response where appropriate and bringing comfort and support to individuals in need who reach out to the police department for help.
Highland Park Police Chief Lou Jogmen said the community service and wellness dog was rescued from a shelter.
Although the dog’s service will primarily focus on situations where he can reduce stress and fear in individuals who have been victims of a crime or other emergency situation, he’ll also be out and about in the community, stopping by schools and community events, the city said in a release.
"This dog provides us a unique opportunity to de-escalate things is a really, really nice way with a loving animal whose sole purpose is to just bring comfort to these folks," Chief Jogmen said, "especially children; you know, if we are dealing with children in a car crash or if there has been some bad news at the house, they have this animal to be able to come in and soften the police department's approach."
The dog’s first assignment will be to choose his own name.
Students at North Shore School District 112 schools and Highland Park High School are invited to brainstorm names and nominate one choice per school. Community members are also invited to submit a name, and then vote on a shortlist at cityhpil.com. Suggestions from the general public will be accepted through Feb. 20, and voting for the community’s choice will be available from Feb. 22 through Feb. 28.
Chief Jogmen said the most popular names will be put in front of the dog, and he hopes the dog will cooperate by choosing one of them.
The dog is scheduled to arrive in Highland Park next month, after it and the two officers assigned to work with the dog complete training.
The dog’s training is provided free of charge through the Paws & Stripes College, a program of the Brevard County (FL) Sheriff’s Office. The program represents a second chance for both the dogs, who are all shelter rescues, and carefully selected and trained county jail inmates, who serve as trainers. The trainers work hard to train dogs in voice commands, hand signals, and other obedience skills, in addition to advanced training to serve as a therapy dog to victims and individuals in crisis.
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