Retired Newport Beach police dog Elko dies

Newport Beach police dog Elko, who retired from the department in 2015 after five years of crimefighting, died March 28 at age 9.

The Belgian Malinois had ongoing health issues that were affecting his quality of life, according to Newport Beach Police Department spokeswoman Jennifer Manzella.

At Elko’s retirement ceremony in 2015, his handler, Officer Roland Stucken, said Elko had a spinal condition that prevented him from performing at his best.

“Elko never wavered in the face of danger while protecting his handler, other officers or members of the community,” the Police Department said in a statement. “He was directly or indirectly responsible for apprehending numerous violent criminals as well as locating several hundred pounds of narcotics which were taken off the streets.”

Elko was a highlight at community events and the Police Department’s citizen and teen academy programs, the department said.

“Elko, always energetic and alert, was the most vocal one in the room during demonstrations,” the statement said. “He was a versatile member of our team, as comfortable receiving belly rubs from his fans as he was working with the SWAT team.”

Elko, whose original name was Boris, was purchased from Holland in 2010 with a $15,000 donation from the Newport Harbor Elks Lodge. He was named in honor of the Elks Lodge.

In 2015, Elko gave up his role as a crimefighting dog and embraced domestic life full time, living in Stucken’s home with the officer, his wife and two children.

“Rest easy, my friend. You served your community proudly and will be missed by many,” Stucken said in a statement.

In bidding a final farewell to his canine companion, Stucken used a phrase in Dutch, the language he used to train Elko.

“Sus brav, Elko, sus brav,” he wrote.

In English, the phrase means “Good boy, Elko, good boy.”

hannah.fry@latimes.com

Twitter: @HannahFryTCN