Nomination Letter Example

Deputy Chris Deakin
Vice President, WLECHA
c/o Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office
515 Moreland Boulevard
Waukesha, WI 53188

Deputy Deakin:

I would like to nominate Officer James East and his canine partner, Kitty, for the Meritorious K9 Track award for the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Canine Handlers Association.

This nomination is based on the actions of Officer East and Canine Kitty in the early morning hours of Thursday, December 23, 2002.  Another officer had stopped a vehicle and the driver fled the scene. Officer East and Canine Kitty responded to attempt to track and apprehend the suspect.

The traffic stop originated in the Floor-Mart parking lot (large asphalt lot). Officer East and Canine Kitty had tracked the suspect across the lot, over a retaining wall, and across the McLeonards parking lot. They continued to track across South 1st Street, which is a heavily traveled 6-lane divided highway.  The track continued along the pavement next to a strip mall and then behind the strip mall.  This track then crossed another street (2-lane city street), through a field, into a wooded area behind Ultra Expensive Cinema, and then to a grassy area behind another business.  They then tracked to a parking lot for another business, the Peter Piper Restaurant. The track was briefly lost in the parking lot but reacquired.  The track then led to an open garage behind the restaurant. The garage was cleared, with no suspect inside.  Officer East and Canine Kitty reacquired the track again, where it went through one business parking lot into another business parking lot.  The track was lost again, and they then attempted to reacquire the track in the yards behind the business.  They were successful in locating the track, which headed toward the rear of a rental company business.  At the rear of the business, Canine Kitty tracked toward a dumpster and upon getting close to the dumpster, he jumped on the dumpster and began barking - indicating on the dumpster. Officers stepped back and Officer East made a verbal announcement with Canine Kitty barking. A voice then came from inside the dumpster indicating that the suspect was unarmed, would be coming out, and did not want the dog to get him.  The suspect was ordered out and eventually taken into custody.

The suspect was positively identified as the one who had fled from the initial traffic stop.  He had felony warrants and was wanted by Probation and Parole.

The temperature was 2 degrees above zero, with a strong wind - making a wind chill factor of 27 degrees below zero. The track was approximately 1-1/4 miles in length, starting on asphalt and crossing concrete, gravel, high grass, cut grass and thick woods entangled with vines.

Officer James East and his canine partner, Kitty, during extreme weather conditions and over various and difficult terrain, tracked a felon and took him into custody. Their dedication and abilities epitomize those of canine handlers and their partners throughout the state, and it is because of this that I would like to nominate Officer James East and his Canine Kitty for Meritorious K9 Track.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Respectfully,

Sergeant Will Smith
Everytown Police Department