A true 'Onur' to serve

SANDUSKY — He served honorably. So says his handler, Sandusky police Sgt. Ed Ohlemacher, and city police Chief Jared Oliver upon reflecting back on K-9 Onur's five-year tenure. "He was a part of several hundred arrests, dealing in narcotics to suspect apprehension, and never once bit someone," Ohlemacher said. "Everyone gave up when they saw him." Due to several factors, including his age, at 8, police commanders decided now represents a good time for Onur — pronounced like the word "honor" — to retire, which he did this past month. The German shepherd from Hungary will live with Ohlemacher during his golden years. "It made perfect sense both for the benefit of the K-9 and for the benefit of the hander," Oliver said. Right now, there's one police dog, Gunner, who's working alongside Sgt. Evan Estep. "We are pursuing another K-9," Oliver said. "We recently determined the new handler, and we are pursuing the purchase of the new K-9." Like with past police dogs, the new one will be acquired without city officials spending taxpayer dollars. Commanders rely upon donations from community members to purchase a dog along with its food, medical supplies and other necessities. Oliver pointed out just some of the many benefits a police dog can offer to a police department. "The capabilities of the K-9 to assist in missing person searches, to apprehend criminals or to search for items of evidence by tracking down a scent is very beneficial in our line of work," Oliver said. Police dogs also serve as a public relations tool to foster goodwill between the public and the police, Ohlemacher said. Commanders see K-9s as an avenue to connect with dog-loving residents. As an officer, "You are more approachable with a dog to people," Ohlemacher said. "People want to talk about the dog and be near the dog and pet the dog." Police dogs also further an ongoing effort in Sandusky to strengthen relations between police officers and community members, said John Orzech, the assistant city manager and former police chief who spearheaded fundraising K-9 campaigns throughout his law enforcement career. "We have the dogs attend many community functions and events throughout the year so we can have a positive interaction with the citizens," Orzech said. "It's important to do that because it builds trust between us and them. That gives us an opportunity to develop a relationship with them."