Police Department to Get K-9 Unit

The township's police department was recently awarded a grant for a K-9 unit, three years after the police dog here died.

The $50,000 grant, from the Department of Homeland Security, will cover the price of the dog, its training and a K-9 truck.

"The grant is for a bomb dog, but through the state police, they will cross-train it for patrol work," said Officer Timothy Obuchowski.

The department hadn't been able to start a unit in the last few years, Obuchowski said, because of the economic climate.

Obuchowski, a patrolman with Cinnaminson for over 10 years, will be the dog's handler.

"This is something I pushed for," Obuchowski said. "This is something I've wanted for a couple of years."

The department applied for the grant earlier in March of this year. They were one of seven entities to receive it. And, it was definitely needed here in the township.

If the township's police department needed a canine unit for a call, officers had to call an outside department who could deploy a dog, Obuchowski said. The closest to respond usually was Evesham; even then, Cinnaminson had to wait up to an hour for them to get to the scene.

Pennsauken has a K-9 unit, but because they are in Camden County, they don't usually venture into Burlington, Obuchowski said.

Now, a police dog will be in the township, and both Obuchowski and the German shepherd the department gets, will be on-call 24 hours a day.

The department doesn't receive the dog until March, but the first step for the unit has already been taken. They purchased a 4x4 truck that's been "totally outfitted for the dog," Obuchowski said.

Two weeks after the dog is with the department, training will begin and last for about a year. Obuchowski will be with the canine four days a week for a 16-week bomb course and an 18-week patrol-training course.

The dog will also be trained for biting and tracking. Obuchowski said that's beneficial to the department because of a problem with car break-ins in Cinnaminson.

If a burglar flees on foot, the dog will be able to pick up the scent, he said.

"If we have a dog, it could start a track right away," Obuchowski said.

Cinnaminson's officers have also responded to several bomb scares at the district's middle and high school over the last few years, so the dog will come in handy there.