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x OPINION CANINE ENJOYED @ E~] = Si wn 4 oO co rm w [7-9 fer | Thursday, September 1, 2022 WITH HALTON 2POLICE, WRITES ~STEPHEN METELSKY Oakville Beave STEPHEN METELSKY Column “Knine-two for a call, . the ¢ dis- bond was formed. ym October to December of 2008" ‘Lawless attended the basic handler Course in Niagara with his rookie partner. "It ‘was very pontensive train- ing, "said Lawless. "We were both learning.’ Storm excelled and successful- ly graduated in 2010. He had be- come an official member of the Halton Police — equal to a sworn officer. om was an integral part of 2 Deputy Chief Jeff Hill, tho oversees regional oper- ations. Equipped with his new badge, Storm returned to Halton and hit oun ‘ing — literally. Lawless and his new partner wel —onandoffdu- patcher dio. Const. Matt Lawless and as new sidekick, a German s| herd named Storm, were ner in their new role as partners in January of 2010. Lawless had to strain to hear the dispatcher over the pan ing. rm familiarized himself to ace their call sign a arked antly whenever they were one In 2009, Lawless, who started with the Halton Police in 2003, travelled down to Pennsylvania to partake in the training of nine dogs, with the hopes of selecting one to be his partner. Storm stood out from the crowd andan instant insidehalton.com The service outfitted an out- door living area for him where Lawless resided and the cruiser lesigned with special fea- tures rs Storm when they were on duty — days and night shifts. The back seat was regulated for temperature with an endless sup- ply of water. They werein constant demand for assistance, ens alarm hence robberies, reali ins, and even homicides. “We were called to locatea sus- pect for a murder that had oc- curred, but they were long gone,” Lawless recal] orm W was ee ested for these calls because of his unique talent to track someone down with his GRILL & OYSTER HOUSE IBFEST WEEKEND "eton police photo Storm was instrumental in many arrests during his time with Halton police. ability to smell. “Storm would key in ona fresh scent from someone who had just committed a crime," said Law- less, or even the scent from a per- son who was missing or lost. "Iti Js important not to contaminate th: route for the K9 unit. You want it as sterile as possible.” St had many successes in his six-year career as a police ser- vice dog, including many arrests and the recovery of several fire- arms. Storm was also a gun detec- tion dog — a rare talent among K9s. “Storm found a loaded .45-cali- bre handgun ina car anda loaded shotgun under a deck," recalled Lawless, who confirmed Storm cated six authentic firearms tat were successfully taken off the rane, in Halton. those guns off the STORM'S SIX YEARS OF SERVICE HALTON CRIME, CONFIDENTIAL. pact that Storm \ would have had keeping our unity safe, keeping the people within our community safe. Matt and Storm were an excellent resource that you wanted on a call looking for things nobody else could find." As a dog handler, it was also Lawless' responsibility to keep Storm safe while on duty. “Storm would put his life on the line for me without hesita- In December 2016 Lawless' ten- ure in the K9 unit was ending, as was Storm's career as a police dog. His retirement included be- ming the family pet in the Law- Tess hou household. “It was a seamless transition. He was a great pet," Lawless said, although there were days Storm seemed ready to jump back into the action. His ears would perk up at the ome of a police or ambu- lance in the distance while ona casual walk with his former handler. In November 2021, five years into his retirement, Storm's health rapidly declined. He died at home. Lawless was with his former partner right until the very ce was ; devastated. It felt like I had lost my best friend," Lawless recalled. “The connection that is built is unbreakable and immensely strong," said Hill. "There is no connection like it. They are part- ners attached at the hip, trusting each other. There is no way you cannot build that connection when you put your life in that dog's hands.” Today, Storm's legacy and tion. I wanted to give him the same luxury and not make a deci sion that would get him hurt,” said Lawles: Atthe endl ofa successful track that led to an arrest or even the recovery of fifty pounds of mari- juana, what was Storm's reward? he bber og’ Soe Lawless. as Storm's handler we was ee greatest re- ward. Even though it was dis- couraged for a handler to become close with their K9 partner, the bond was instantaneous and in- evitable for Lawless. “Tt was a huge bond over seven years. He was my best friend, hands down," Lawless recalled. Feature Menu memory lives on. The Halton Po- lice h i ded their K9 unit and currently have six active service dogs — with Storm's ca- reer being the catalyst to that ex- pansion. “Storm mmitment for six years of his: life protecting the citi- able," Hill said. "I just want to thank Matt and Storm for ev every- thing they did for us." Stephen Metelsky is an author, professor, and retired HRPS detective. Twitter @StephenMe- telsky Have a story idea? 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