Officers demonstrate K-9s at Lampe Park on Saturday

Drug and weapon detecting K-9 officers leaped over barriers and apprehended law enforcement personnel posing as criminals, for people who attended the Fall Family Festival on Saturday at Lampe Park.

Deputies from the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, and officers from the Hayward and San Francisco police departments, brought their dogs to participate in the show.

"They're here today to thank the public for all their support," said Deputy Teresa Duffy of the Douglas County Sheriff's Explorer unit.

Duffy's husband, Sgt. Joe Duffy, explained that since K-9 officer Jon-Jon had been killed in a patrol car fire on Feb. 2, donations came in that paid for alarm systems in all four K-9 patrol vehicles. Two were on display during the demonstrations at the park.

If temperatures in one of the vehicles equipped with the alarms reaches 90 degrees or there's a fire, an alarm sounds and the rear windows drop. According to Sgt. Joe Duffy, the new system can sense an electrical short like the one that caused the vehicle fire that ultimately led to Jon-Jon's death.

Private donations paid for the "K9 Hot-n-Pop Pros" at $1,000 a piece, plus new equipment needed and three new dogs, at $6,000-10,000 each.

The dogs bring the number of K-9 officers to five, although Duffy's dog, Kilo, a German shepherd, will retire in December, reducing the number to four.

Deputy Rick Koontz, who partnered with the Labrador retriever, Jon Jon, who was killed in the fire, received one of the new dogs, Scout, a golden retriever. A Czechoslovakian shepherd, a cross between a Belgian Malinois and a shepherd, named Rony went to Deputy Scott Battcher and Deputy Dean Kumagai has partnered with Akeeva, a German shepherd.

The three new dogs joined about seven others who demonstrated narcotics detection, patrol work, apprehension of criminals and agility on Saturday. A weapons detection dog participated in the demonstrations as well.

n Jo Rafferty can be reached at jrafferty@recordcourier.com or 782-5121, ext. 210.