Criminals beware. There’s a new K-9 in town.
Greener, a 20-month old German shepherd, recently joined the Fort Lee Police Department and is already taking a big bite out of crime.
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staff photo by roy caratozzolo iii
The newest member of the police department, Greener, helps Officer Rick Hernandez search for drugs and already made some big busts.
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Named after Kevin Greener, a borough officer who died in the line of duty in 1999, he is trained for narcotic searches, tracking and apprehension.
"I’m lucky to have a dog that can do his job and still play with kids," said Greener’s handler, Officer Rick Hernandez.
They assisted officers in April during a vehicle stop. Greener indicated that narcotics had been in the car. The driver admitted the vehicle was used to transport drugs and it was confiscated.
In June, Greener found marijuana and more than $12,000 in another vehicle search. Greener located half a pound of marijuana during a vehicle stop in August.
But the biggest bust was yet to come.
The Westview Avenue residence of husband and wife Arthur and Bonita Pontecorvo became a crime scene after the Police Department searched the home, which revealed a shotgun, knife and drug paraphernalia.
"The narcotics division had been doing an investigation and they brought us in when they got the search warrant," Hernandez said. "Once we were inside the home, Greener located almost three ounces of cocaine and over $11,000 in cash."
The husband was charged with distribution of cocaine, weapons possession, money laundering, and possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. His wife had similar charges.
Hernandez said Greener’s training at the Union County Sheriff’s Canine Unit proved invaluable.
"In training, everything we do is based on play," Hernandez said. "When a towel is given the scent of narcotics, Greener is taught to find it. He wants to find the source of the odor. It’s a game to him."
But the game is serious and Greener plays to win. Greener will scratch and paw to indicate he’s made a positive find. A change in Greener’s breathing pattern or the way he wags his tail will also tip off Hernandez that he’s close. But those subtleties are only obvious to Hernandez.
"All dogs have unique traits," Hernandez said. "That’s why handlers have to stay with the same dogs."
Greener is not just trained to catch hardened criminals. He’s also capable of finding lost children or Alzheimer patients by following the scent of their clothing.
Working and living with Greener has its challenges.
"It’s like having a big kid," Hernandez said. "I have to feed and walk him. I also take care of him when he’s sick. And for the first three weeks, he was with me 24/7."
Greener adjusted well and now joins the department’s other canine, Birch, in the war against drugs.
The line between work and play for Greener is thin, but well defined.
"Greener is able to differentiate between the two," Hernandez said. "But even apprehension is fun to him."
E-mail: almenas@northjersey.com
