Sharon Nisivaco was one proud “grandma” Saturday as she watched 1-year-old Ace be sworn-in as an Elgin police officer.
Nisivaco took photos as he sat next to her son Russell, Ace’s police officer partner and handler, and joined Mac and Charm in officially becoming the newest K9 members of the Elgin Police Department.
“(Ace) is so much fun. He listens to Russell’s every command,” Sharon Nisivaco said. “He’s so mild. He’ll lay down beside you and stay there all day. … (But) he does get into mischief every now and again. He has a mind of his own.”
That mischievious personality was on full display when the excitement of the brief ceremony prompted the German shepherd to let out a howl as he received his badge from Police Chief Ana Lalley.
Ace and Mac, whose partner is Officer Zach Young, are German shepherds trained in tracking, narcotics detection, article searches, area searches and building searches.
Charm, a golden retriever puppy, is a comfort dog working with detective Craig Arnold.
The trio joins the department’s other K9 officers Zam and Rex, also German shepherd tracking and search dogs, and Chance, a golden retriever comfort dog.
Right now, Ace will be responsible for tracking and narcotics detection, Officer Russ Nisivaco said. His duties will likely expand as he gets more training, he said.
Nisivaco, who joined the department about five years ago, said he spent time with a K9 unit when interning with another department.
“That was the best week,” he said. “I knew this was definitely something I wanted to do.”
Ace has been on the job since April. “He’s excited all the time to come to work. When we train, he’s always ready to go,” Nisivaco said.
While K9 dogs are not aggressive, it’s better to ask their handler if you can pet them, he said. The officers who serve as their handlers are always ready to answer any questions, he said.
Comfort dogs, on the other hand, are always up for a pat on the head or a belly rub, which is Charm’s favorite. Arnold serves as the handler for both Charm and Chance, who joined the police force in 2021.
The department decided to get a second comfort dog because the workload has been so great. Chance sometimes has multiple appearances a day at schools, where there can be as many as 35 students in a class. It gets a little overwhelming for one dog to meet with so many people, Arnold said.
Charm, who was born in June, has already started working. On her second day with the department, she and Chance went to be with students at Elgin High School following a student’s death.
“She fit right into her role as a therapy dog,” Arnold said. “Charm does her job very well. She’s very obedient. … (But she also can be) a wild one. Chance didn’t have a puppy phase. He was always very stoic, very docile. (Charm) is just very playful at home.”
She was also playful at her swearing-in ceremony, where she greeted people, rolled on her back for belly rubs and played with her mom, Wizzy, who attended with her owners, Izzy and Jen Papa.
The department’s K9 officers attend a 10-week training course with their partners, and their instruction — and that of their handlers — continues after the initial course, officials said.
Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
