My Clearwater
culverts, ditches and the woods,” said Sgt. Mike Spitaleri, the
leader of the squad who has been on the K9 unit since 2008.
“You are going where no one else wants to go. If the suspect
goes over the highest fence, you go over the highest fence.
You know the suspect is out there, you just don’t know
where he or she is at.”
The other members of the K9 unit are Officer Doug
Ambrose, Officer Robert Pease, Officer Rob Main and
Officer Jesse Myers.
A typical K9 serves for about five years, depending on the
wear and tear on the body. After that, they usually retire
and live with their handler. They also live with their handler
during their years of service, so they are pretty much
together 24 hours a day.
“Our dogs are part of our families,” said Spitaleri. “They are
more than just a dog, they are more than a locating tool. It is
part of who I am. It is who I am.”
Winter l Spring 61
More Than Man’s Best Friend
No matter where the suspect might be, they go,
and with dogged determination.
No matter what kind of danger may lurk, they
go, with bounding enthusiasm.
Such is the life of the five Clearwater Police Department
K9s, who help to keep the city safe day and night, alongside
their two-legged partners.
They range in age from just under 2 years old to just more
than 6 years old. They are either German shepherds or a
German shepherd/Malinois mix. Their names are Echo, Axe,
Cash, Wyatt and Grimm.
When a suspect flees after a bank robbery or residential
burglary or any other number of crimes, they get the call.
And they use their nose to track the suspect – no matter
where that track may lead.
“You’re jumping fences, you’re in the water, you’re in