Maryland County’s Police Dogs Dressed for the Job

The police dogs of Montgomery County, Md., will be among the first in the country to sport the latest rage in canine patrol wear: custom-fit bulletproof vests.

And, thanks to a generous donation from the Humane Society, they will never have to overheat again. The new “hot dog” sensors monitor when temperatures get too hot in parked patrol cars and automatically roll down the windows.

The society contributed 21 vests, at $350 a pop, to the county’s 17-member canine corps and to dogs belonging to the Takoma Park police and the Montgomery County division of the Maryland park police. It also gave the county 17 temperature-monitoring devices that automatically roll down windows and start fans when parked patrol cars get too hot.

And for those inclined to snicker, canine officer Rupert Curry has this to say about his beloved partner, Rex: “All he has now when he goes after a suspect is his bite.”

Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan, who was at the donation ceremony Wednesday attended by the dogs and their handlers, said the new gear first struck him as a bit over the top.

“But then I talked to the officers,” Duncan said. “They said it will make them more confident going into dangerous situations. It’s psychological.”

In the 40-year history of the county’s canine department, only one dog, Blitz, has been shot and killed.

Sgt. Lee Marsh, commander of the county’s canine corps, draped Bandit, his German shepherd, in a new 4-pound bulletproof vest. “You could make the argument that this is a luxury,” he said. “But my life depends on how well he does his job.”