WICKLIFFE, Ohio — After a decade, Wickliffe Police now has a tool back at its disposal. A K9 named Bane has officially joined the ranks at the department.
“We’ve only been together for seven weeks now. So we have a long way to go before we’re a full-fledged team, but we’re getting there,” said K9 handler Officer Nick Merrifield.
The patrolman selected Bane himself at Shallow Creek Kennels in Sharpsville, Pennsylvania this summer. The handlers there worked with the K9 before an intensive six-week training program for both partners.
“I would say it’s probably one of the hardest schools I’ve been to as a policeman,” Merrifield said. “I’ve had dogs my whole life and thought I might know a thing or two and understand how to train a dog. I learned on the first day - I know nothing.”
The Belgian Malinois learned to apprehend suspects, track people and items and find narcotics.
“His nose is his best tool and it’s something that we needed here,” Merrifield said.
The K9’s expert nose is 10,000-100,000 times better at detecting scent than a human nose. The tool Bane brings to Wickliffe is something the police department hasn’t had since the last K9 officer retired in 2012 and was not replaced.
“It’s a huge benefit that we have that we’ve been missing out on for the last 10 years,” Merrifield explained.
Bane will not only help Wickliffe. He’ll be able to assist other departments that need a K9. It’s a benefit Merrifield praises the community for making possible.
“The amount of donations we received funded the entire program, to the point we didn’t have to fund anything from the city itself,” he said.
After K9 Rex retired in 2012, the position went unfilled partly because of the cost to purchase and train a replacement. Merrifield, who aspired to be a K9 handler, received the department’s blessing to fundraise himself.
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In about 7 months, he collected about $80,000 in donations from businesses, families and individuals in Wickliffe and beyond. The money paid for the K9, training and to retrofit a K9 cruiser.
“Everyone loves dogs and everyone’s very supportive of the dog being here in Wickliffe,” said Merrifield’s girlfriend, Natasha Reed, who helped with the fundraising efforts.
News 5 previously talked with the couple as they were preparing a space in their home for the anticipated K9. Reed said he’s settled into homelife outside of work.
“The kids love him. The kids are happy to have him. They’re very proud, they’re excited,” she said.
Merrifield hopes Bane will not only be a tool for police work. He also plans to use him as an opportunity to build community relations.
“Any time I can get him out, I want to do that with the community so they can see just what their donations brought to the city,” he said.
K9 Bane will be officially sworn in by the Wickliffe mayor on Monday.
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