CHARLES COUNTY, MD. — The Rochester Police Department has one of the nation's top dogs.
Chase, a 7-year-old Belgian Malinois who is handled by Sgt. Mike Drees, took first place Thursday in the Criminal Apprehension category of the 2013 Patrol Dog Nationals.
The category measures proficiency in obedience, agility, biting apprehension and recall, when the handler orders the dog to bite, then calls it back. Chase and Drees received 337.67 points out of a possible 340.
The two are part of a regional team that placed third overall in the four-day competition. Other members are from the St. Paul Police Department, St. Croix County in Wisconsin and Washington County.
Chase, who has been with the city since 2008, has been involved in 118 K-9 specific calls for service in 2013. He has assisted officers in four physical apprehensions.
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Calls specific to police dogs involve tracking suspects; narcotics searches; evidentiary article searches, such as discarded weapons, clothing or other items used in a crime; as well as physical apprehensions.
The vast majority of Chase's relatives are also police dogs, said Capt. John Sherwin.
"They're likely all over the world," he said. "He was bred to be a police dog."
