Albion PD introduces new K-9, Badger
Photos by Tom Rivers: Badger, a Belgian Malinois, stopped by the Albion Village Board meeting this evening. Badger started worked his first shift with the Albion Police Department on Sunday.
Nathaniel Staines introduces Badger to the Village Board this evening. Pictured in back include Trustee Chris Barry, Mayor Eileen Banker and Trustee Kevin Sheehan.
ALBION – The newest member of the Albion Police Department met the Village Board this evening and many of the department heads.
Badger, a Belgian Malinois, is coming off 14 weeks of K-9 training. He worked his first shift on Sunday night with handler Nathaniel Staines, an Albion police officer the past 4 ½ years.
Badger succeeds Rex as the Albion PD’s K-9. Robert Wagner was Rex’s handler.
Badger showed the village officials he is a friendly dog. He happily let people pet him on the head, and even hopped in Aric Albright’s lap. Albright is Albion’s sewer plant superintendent.
The dog has completed training in tracking and article searches. He will be certified this fall in advanced narcotics searches.
“We’ve had a very long history with K-9s,” said Police Chief Roland Nenni. “We’ve had very good dogs.”
Badger is a “passive alert dog.” Instead of barking, he will lay down if he detects something for Staines to check out.
The dog “runs like a rocket” and has impressive jumping ability for tracking suspects, Nenni said.
Nenni said Badger and Staines have already formed a strong partnership.
“We’re best buds,” Staines said.
The two did their training at the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office in Lockport. Nenni said donations and funds from the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force covered the cost of the dog. Purina has also donated about six months of dog food for Badger.
Staines, an Albion resident, said he dreamed of being a police officer and K-9 handler since he was a kid.
Before joining the Albion PD, he worked about 2 ½ years for the Le Roy Police Department and also was a part-time officer in Holley.
Nenni said Staines has already excelled as a handler, connecting with the dog and getting Badger to follow his commands.
Nathaniel Staines and Badger worked their first shift together on Sunday after 14 weeks of training.
Badger makes a new friend in Jay Pahura, the DPW superintendent.
Aric Albright, the Albion sewer plant superintendent, gets a snuggle from Badger at the board meeting. Badger proved friendly in his first meeting with the village department heads.
