BREA : Police Officer Harco Has Had His Day

Police Officer Keith Chang had seen his partner’s retirement coming for some time. The first sign came when Chang had to help his partner scale a fence by giving him a little push over the top.

But when the 75-pound Harco, one of Brea’s first police dogs, started waiting at fences so Chang could carry him over, he knew it was time to hang up Harco’s leash.

Earlier this month Harco was honored by the City Council and officially retired. With a bad back, infected ears and weakening legs, the 10-year-old Harco can no longer chase suspects.

During his 5 1/2 years on the force, Harco, a German shepherd, was responsible for finding $2 million in drug money, 80 kilograms of cocaine and 2 kilograms of marijuana.

The city also credits Harco with searching 239 buildings and being instrumental in eight arrests.

But more significant, Chang said, was the dog’s impact as a deterrent.

“I can’t count the number of times an incident has been avoided purely because of his presence,” Chang said. “We’ve had a number of suspects give up when we told them we were sending in Harco.”

Harco’s teeth proved to be powerful persuaders, but it is the dog’s nose that Chang admires the most.

“He would never cease looking until he found what he was tracking,” Chang said. “His ability to track was incredible.”

It took Chang, an officer for 20 years, some time before he would rely on that ability--and Harco’s other training--when making decisions in the field.

In one case, Harco indicated to Chang that suspects and stolen property were outside the area Chang and other officers had decided to search.

Chang ignored the dog, but after giving up the search he let Harco satisfy his curiosity. The suspects and the stolen property were quickly discovered.

“I was used to working the streets alone, and it was difficult to rely on a dog, who you can’t reason with,” Chang said. “But I got better at it as the years went by.”

Harco was teamed with Chang five years ago as one of Brea’s first two canine units.

Imported from Germany, the dog was 4 1/2 years old and had undergone obedience, protection and tracking training since he was a puppy.

Upon his arrival in Brea, Harco underwent 160 hours of training with Chang in Riverside. To build and strengthen the bond between the team, Harco moved in with Chang, where he will continue to live.

Like many retirees before him, Harco has not had an easy time adjusting to long days of leisure. To make matters worse, Harco has had to watch Chang and his new partner, Kit, leave for work each day.

“When he hears the (police car) start up, he wants to come with me. He’s a little jealous of his replacement,” Chang said.