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Meet the Police K-9s

 K-9 Saint  K-9 Charlie
                        Meet the St. Charles K-9s, Saint and Charlie

St. Charles Police K-9 Unit

St. Charles Police Department has two K-9s that assist in various aspects of police services. Saint assists with searches, tracking, and apprehension. Charlie is a therapy dog and provides comfort/support to victims and witness after a traumatic incident.

About Saint

Saint was sworn in to the St. Charles Police Department Sept 1, 2021. He is a Belgian Malinois and was born in September 2019. Saint’s star number is 201 and his handler is Officer Mike Redmann.

When You See Saint Out Around Town

Please do not approach Saint. His primary job is to assist officers on calls and he needs to focus. Saint is excited to do his part in helping to keep St. Charles a safe community for all. So if you see him around town, out on a call, at a school, or at the Police Station, please help him stay focused.

Do not worry about Saint if you see him in the police car. Officer Redmann drives a special climate-controlled K-9 squad outfitted with many safety features to keep Saint safe and comfortable at all times. You’ll often see this vehicle around town and it is easily identifiable, as it is marked "K-9" and even has an image of Saint on the back.

Training

Becoming an official K-9 for the PD requires extensive training. The six-week training is coordinated through the Kane County Sheriff’s K-9 Academy and includes:

  • Narcotic detection
  • Article searches
  • Tracking
  • Patrol, which includes apprehension, building searches, and open area searches

Continued Training

Saint is required to receive 16 hours of training monthly with a K-9 training group that includes police departments from Kane County, Aurora, Naperville, Lombard, and other departments on occasion. Saint also is required to maintain yearly Narcotics Detection Certification.

A special thank you for helping us bring Saint onboard goes to:

  • The Kara Foundation grant for Saint's training and special equipment.
  • Officer Mike Redmann for the supervision and training of Saint.
  • Chief Keegan and Deputy Chief Pierce for making the Department’s desire for a new K-9 come to fruition.
  • Gateway Veterinary Clinic for donating their services for Saint.
  • Target and Walmart for donating food and supplies.

                         K-9 Saint and Officer Redmann 
                   K-9 Saint and Officer Mike Redmann

About Charlie

Charlie is a Police Therapy Dog. He was sworn in to the St. Charles Police Department Feb 22, 2022. He is a Golden Retriever/German Shepherd mix and was born in 2021. Charlie’s star number is 202 and his handler is Officer Meghan Kramer.

Role of a Therapy Dog

  • Unlike the typical K-9 which helps police with searches, tracking, and apprehension, Charlie's main role is to provide emotional support, especially after traumatic incidents.
  • Crime victims can take comfort in holding and petting Charlie, and just being around his calming demeanor.
  • Having a friendly dog to interact with can help victims or witnesses feel more comfortable talking about traumatic events and be less intimidated when speaking with a police officer.
  • Our police social worker can request Charlie and his handler to accompany her to facilitate a call or visit.
  • Charlie will help our first responders cope with the stresses of the job.

How to Act Around a Therapy Dog

While Charlie is a friendly pup, please practice proper dog etiquette and be sure to ask Charlie's handler for permission before approaching or petting him. Remember that Charlie is still a working dog and may need breaks during events to decompress from the stimulation of people.

A Police Ambassador in the Community

A dog offers an easy way to connect with people of all ages. Charlie attends many community events with handler Officer Kramer and encourages positive interactions. He can been seen at parades and festivals, and generally out and about. Charlie also has a presence in the schools. He attends Too Good for Drugs classes, is available for students to read to him, or he can just hang out and interact with the kids.

Training

Charlie has received his Canine Good Citizenship certification through the American Kennel Club. This ten-step skill test ensures he has good manners, understands basic obedience, and is capable of being out in the community. Training helps build a bond between the dog and handler. Charlie and Officer Kramer train together for at least one hour every day and attend weekly trainings through Canines 4 Comfort.

A special thank you for helping us bring Charlie onboard:

  • Canines 4 Comfort for placing Charlie with us and donating all the training he and his handler attend together. Canines 4 Comfort is a local 501(c)3 organization that trains and places psychiatric service dogs with individuals diagnosed with emotional disabilities, and therapeutic facility dogs with schools and first responder teams. https://canines4comfort.org
  • Officer Meghan Kramer for the supervision and training of Charlie.
  • Doggie Divine for offering Charlie free grooming for life. http://doggiedivinepetsalon.com
  • Gateway Veterinary Clinic for donating veterinary services to both Charlie and Saint. https://gatewayvetclinic.com

                         K-9 Charlie & Officer Meghan Kramer
                  K-9 Charlie and Officer Meghan Kramer

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updated Feb 07, 2023