They’re more than just cops — they’re family.
Away from the job, King and Shabba are two fun-loving Belgian Malinois who love to nap and play with their favorite squeaky toys. On duty, however, these dogs are all business when it comes time to helping human cops patrol the New York subways.
For members of the NYPD K-9 Unit, their day typically begins with the team checking into their base in Long Island City, Queens where they exercise and shake off the morning zoomies before being assigned where they will be posted throughout the day. According to Police Officer Paul Ambrosino, this could range from the likes of Yankee Stadium to Times Square.
“These collars are treated as their uniform, so when we put them on, they know they are about to go to work,” Ambrosino, Shabba’s human partner, told amNewYork Metro.
According to Lieutenant Dion Gaspard, commanding officer of the Transit Bureau K-9 Unit, King and Shabba’s mission is to keep the subways safe by detecting suspicious activity via their keen scent. They are also deployed into dangerous, emergency situations such as potential terrorist attacks or bomb threats.
Gaspard is the first African American to take over the Transit Bureau Canine Unit, and he says he does not take the position lightly. He closely watches what is going on around the world, and in response to any events such as an attack on mass transit overseas, he meticulously places his units in areas that are most beneficial for the safety of New Yorkers.
“I place my team in positions where I feel they would be most beneficial. Where there’s a potential possible terrorist activity. That’s how I decide where [the Canine Unit] are placed every day,” Gaspard said.
Gaspard says it is this proactive essence of the K-9 Unit that makes them a pivotal component of the NYPD. Every day, the canine crew is training and preparing for the worst-case scenario.
“They are always training. I want to make sure that once I deploy these canines, they get it right every single time because we don’t have a chance to make an error. If we miss something it could potentially be catastrophic,” Gaspard said.
Police Officer Tulio Camajo, King’s partner, says that they bond with their dogs from when they are puppies, and they begin basic command training and move on to building on policing scenarios, and it is through these lessons that the handlers and dogs learn from each other. They even live together.
“They do go home, home with us. And also, we started training with them from the beginning. So we basically learn from each other, basically we learn from them — they are smarter than us,” Camajo said.
While the NYPD states that the K-9 Unit is invaluable to the department, the dogs do not immediately go barging into a scene when an incident occurs. Instead, the handlers start screening and searching the alternate sites and adjacent stations (for example in a bomb threat) to ensure there are no secondary devices.
“Based on statistics, what can happen is someone could put a device, let’s say at a hypothetical station, they’ll set it off and wait for first responders to respond and then set off a secondary device. So, what we do is we’ll check other locations, we’ll check the perimeter outside the station…these guys are always out there,” Gaspard said.
Aside from continuous training to keep these canines in tip-top shape, they also receive veterinarian care. Like their human counterparts, the canine unit receives numerous breaks to protect against heat exhaustion and to enjoy their lunch. Gaspard says they often alternate the dogs during their shift, so one dog will be out with the handler and another will be cooling off or resting, and then they are switched out.
The handlers also reinforced that they do not see their furry partners as pets, but as true partners who are there to support one another, especially in life-and-death situations. It is through this trust that a strong bond is built.
“The bond I see between these guys every day is incredible,” Gaspard said.
Ambrosino shares that he loves being a part of the K-9 Unit, and it was something he always dreamed of even as a young boy.
“It’s incredible. There’s nothing better. You’re with your best friend every day, so you can’t beat it. It’s something I always wanted to do when I was growing up as a kid. So, it’s like a dream come true and to be able to come to work every day with these guys,” Ambrosino said.
In addition to being an essential part of the NYPD, the unit adds that the dogs help bridge relationships with community members and invite them to communicate with officers.
When amNewYork Metro questioned Shabba and King on their experience with the K-9 Unit, the doggy duo wagged their tales and lapped their tongues in excitement for another day’s work.
“The commuters love us. They’ll come and try to pet the dogs. My guys will give them trading cards. So it’s a great public interaction tool and you’re doing a service to the city,” Gaspard said.
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