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# A ruff job but some dog has to do it
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/a-ruff-job-but-some-dog-has-to-do-it/
- Published: 2008-03-08T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T18:50:41.000Z
- Author: Kevin Herrera
- Tags: Crime, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*Learning to appreciate law enforcement*

Editor’s note: For the next 10 weeks, Editor in Chief Kevin Herrera will be writing a first-person account of what it’s like to be enrolled in the Santa Monica Police Department’s Citizen Police Academy, which is intended to foster better communication between Santa Monicans and police officers, while giving residents a better understanding of what it takes to preserve the peace.

CIVIC CENTER I think I’ve finally met a police officer I like.

OK, that’s not entirely true. There are a couple who are pretty cool (here’s a shout out to my buddy Lt. Alex Padilla, the hardest working man in the SMPD), but this one definitely ranks up there with John McClain from the “Die Hard” series or Alex Murphy from “Robocop” — two fictional characters that captivated me as a kid.

This officer is loyal, dedicated, friendly, and, dare I say adorable, with eyes that could melt the coldest of hearts. He also likes to play fetch and obeys every command.

I’m talking about Landor, one of the Santa Monica Police Department’s well-trained K- 9s who protect and serve right along with their human partners, risking their lives for almost nothing in return aside from some Kibbles ‘n Bits and a place to rest their heads.

Landor and his partner, Officer Adam Barry, gave a demonstration before my Citizens Police Academy class this week along with other Belgian Malinois employed by the department to assist the patrol officers with routine calls as well as searches of suspects, narcotics or explosives.

Barry had Landor search the lobby of the Public Safety Facility for explosives, which he found quickly, jumping up and down with his black nose pointed at a defibrillator packed into a case hanging on the wall. A prop with a chemical used in explosives was hidden behind the defibrillator, but that did-n’t fool Landor, whose strong sense of smell would never lead him astray.

The Santa Monica Police Department began the K-9 program in 1976 and currently employs a half-dozen dogs, some costing as much as $9,200\. The dogs are imported from Europe, most often from the Netherlands, Barry said, and therefore they are usually trained in another language,forcing officers to learn a few commands in Dutch.

To develop a trusting relationship and to learn specialized police patrol techniques, the officer and his dog first attend a four-week training school together. Upon their graduation the two begin to “work the streets”as partners, training every week to remain sharp. The K-9 program is credited with saving countless work hours for the officers and making their work environment and our community safer.

After watching Landor and his colleague Duke dig through shrubbery or a crowded conference room and come back with a glove, kilo of cocaine or a vile of crack rocks, it became clear to me that the pooches represent money well spent. said Officer Mike Von Achen, who not only works with Duke, but lives with him, as do all the officers in the K-9 Unit, something which helps build that strong bond between the two partners.

The K-9s are often the first line of defense, sent out into the darkness to search for suspects who might be hiding with a weapon, looking to harm anyone who comes near. While officers would never send their canine partners into a “suicide situation,” they are bred and trained to be put into dangerous situations and perform at a high level, Von Achen said.

The harsh reality is these dogs are not considered to be on the same level as their human counterparts by the law. One can be punished for harming a police dog,but the penalty is not as severe as when someone harms a cop. The dogs are simply tools of the trade in the eyes of the law,but for their partners,the dogs are definitely much more. They are like family, and when one dies in the line of duty, it hurts just the same as losing a fellow officer.

> “They take some of the danger off us,”

“You spend more time with them than you do with your own family,” Von Achen said with a tinge of sadness in his voice, recalling memories of his former partner who passed away.“When they die, it’s devastating. It’s like losing a child.”

But the officers allow themselves to get attached anyway, knowing full well that one day their partner will pass on.It was nice to see the dogs and their partners in the spotlight.

While the K-9 Unit was the highlight of the recent class, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the other presenters who took their time to educate us about the process. They included officers Kim Sloane and Capris Redondo, who are in charge of finding the next batch of recruits, and Sgt. Henry Ramirez of Internal Affairs, who is in charge of investigating complaints against officers.

Sloane and Redondo started off their one-hour session with the SMPD’s recruitment video, which was enticing, all except for the music. That was kind of cheesy but what are you going to do?

After that, they laid out how difficult it is to find quality candidates and how it’s a challenge to get them through the academy. It is a grueling process. Cadets are put through military-type training with drill instructors screaming in their faces. Aside from marching and going through physically grueling drills, these cadets also must write several papers during their six months of training, and must study constantly, leaving them little time for family or friends. It’s a test of their commitment, and many fail.

“You have to learn time management,” Sloane said.“Besides the physical fitness part of it, there’s the educational aspect, and that can trip many people up.”

Sloane said 50 to 60 percent of those recruited don’t even get to the academy for training. They are weeded out through a series of tests and background checks that are extremely thorough. Sloane and Redondo will contact a potential cadet’s family, friends, ex-girlfriends and high school principals to get an idea of their moral character. Oftentimes, it is little lies told by the recruit that gets them disqualified.

All of the hard work and scrutiny made me wonder why someone would want to go through it. Then I saw how much a rookie cop makes — $65,000 plus benefits and overtime. I know it’s not all about the money. Wanting to serve one’s community is by far the most attractive part of being a cop, but the ducats don’t hurt. All I know is, I wouldn’t want Sloane or Redondo combing through my past. These ladies mean business, and they are very enthusiastic when it comes to their jobs. They enjoy finding new recruits and helping maintain a department they have come to love. The passion is clearly there, and being a background investigator is a great way to move up in the ranks.

No offense to Sgt. Ramirez, but the Internal Affairs portion was a little dull. It’s not his fault, it’s just that his job is all about procedure, making sure things are done correctly so that no mistakes tarnish the process. I have to give him credit for working in IA. It’s not the most attractive job given the negative stigma attached to it. You’ve seen the movies. IA is often the subject of scorn, with good cops like Michael Douglas’character in “Black Rain,” getting hit by “the suits.”

Santa Monica is different. Everyone knows everyone because the department is so small. Cops come up together. They know who is working IA so there isn’t any animosity, Ramirez said.

Luckily for him, Santa Monica has a very professional police department that is rarely, if ever,mentioned in news broadcasts for officers going overboard.There have been some allegations of misconduct, but nothing as major as what happens in departments in other area cities.There aren’t officers raiding the evidence room, at least none that we’ve heard of.

One problem I had with the presentation was that those who make complaints about officers are not allowed to see what kind of punishment is dished out if the officer is found to have broken the law or the code of conduct. To me, that’s wrong. It doesn’t foster trust between the community and the department and perpetuates this sense of departments being closed off and somewhat above the law.

Ramirez explained that the law dictates the privacy and is not something unique to the SMPD. He said the department has a great relationship with the community as a whole and ensured us that if the conduct of an officer was so egregious, or if there was a pattern of abuse, they would no longer be employed. I guess I’ll have to take him at his word. I know officers have a right to have their personal information protected, but they are public servants with the duty of protecting us — the public. They should be held to a higher standard and if they do not perform as they should, I think we should know about it, but that’s just me.

I’ve always been somewhat leery of law enforcement. Perhaps it’s because I’m a cynical reporter at heart who got his feet wet in South L.A., where there were accusations of misconduct flying left and right. But since coming to Santa Monica, my attitude has changed dramatically as I’ve gotten to know officers on a more personal level. Thanks to the academy, I’m starting to see a person instead of just a badge. I’m seeing some personality — and that goes for the dogs, too.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 8, 2008.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/030808.pdf?ref=smdp.com)