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Pence backs Barletta at Philadelphia gathering

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Two members of the city&#8217;s K9 unit returned to the streets last week after more than a six-month hiatus.</p><p>Officer Joseph Homza and Chase were reactivated for duty on July 19, Mayor Tony George said.</p><p>The mayor ordered that Chase be taken out of service in January after the dog had bitten three people, including a police officer, during an arrest. The dogs underwent evaluation to determine whether they were suited for police work. The Penn Vet Working Dog Center&#8217;s Law Enforcement K9 Training Division in Philadelphia concluded that they were.</p><p>The team of Homza and Chase completed in-service training on July 18 at the Penn Vet Working Dog Center, according to the Wilkes-Barre Police Benevolent Association, the union representing rank-and-file officers.</p><p>The other team of Officer Daniel Roper and Skoty are still training and should be ready for duty in two to three weeks, &#8220;maybe quicker than that,&#8221; the mayor said Monday.</p><p>&#8220;I don&#8217;t think it will take as long as the first time,&#8221; George added.</p><p>The dog previously underwent extensive training, but was taken out of service and eventually paired with Roper as a result of an arbitration settlement. In this round, Roper is taking a little more time than Skoty to be certified for duty.</p><p>The dogs know what to do, but the officers have to be taught how to work with the dogs, added Wilkes-Barre Police Department Commander Joseph Coffay.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s just another tool&#8221; that the department can use, Coffay said of the K9 unit.</p><p>Roper and Skoty will work with Paul Price of the North East Police K9 Academy in Wilkes-Barre Township, who had been training with the city&#8217;s K9 teams prior to them being taken out of service, Coffay said.</p><p>The teams will undergo monthly training, the mayor said. </p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Chase, seen here, and Officer Joseph Homza, half of the Wilkes-Barre Police Department&#8217;s K9 unit, returned to service last week after more than a six-month hiatus. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/web1_Chase-K9.jpg</photo0><caption0>Chase, seen here, and Officer Joseph Homza, half of the Wilkes-Barre Police Department&#8217;s K9 unit, returned to service last week after more than a six-month hiatus. </caption0><photoCredit0>Times Leader file </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jerry Lynott</p><p>jlynott@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Half of Wilkes-Barre’s K9 unit back on street, other half still training