By Louie b. Free (Contact)

Published July 11, 2011

NEW CASTLE, Pa. — Nearly 50 police dog units from a 99-mile radius from around the state, came here today to pay tribute to Chico, the 6-year-old Dutch shepherd, found unresponsive by his handler in the back of a hot, parked cruiser...New Castle City council will meet at 5:15 p.m. July 20 in council chambers at the city building to decide whether Officer James Hoyland should be fired.

Fired?

It's my understanding that police K-9's are officers - they are police PARTNERS to their 'handlers'.

This, from Miami,Fla 2007

Police Officer Charged In K-9 Partner's Death

German Shepherd Became Unconscious During Training Exercise

MIAMI -- A 27-year veteran of the Miami-Dade Police Department was arrested Wednesday after being charged with animal cruelty and an offense against a police dog.

Sgt. Allen Cockfield turned himself in Wednesday afternoon to investigators at the Turner-Gilford Knight Correctional Center after an arrest warrant was issued by the State Attorney's office.

or this:

SAN DIEGO -- A veteran police officer whose canine partner died of heat stroke at the lawman's Alpine home was charged Friday with a single misdemeanor count of leaving a dog in a confined vehicle causing death.

Paul Hubka, a 22-year member of the San Diego Police Department, is accused of leaving Forrest, a 5-year-old Belgian Malinois, in his car the morning of June 20 after parking in his driveway following a graveyard shift.

An investigation determined that Forrest may have been in the department vehicle with the windows rolled up for as long as seven hours. The high temperature in the East County that day was well over 100 degrees.

  this:

Mishawaka Officer and K9 partner killed in crash.

this:

Dallas had its own tragedy in 2004 when a German Shepherd, Queno, was left in a police car.

this:

North Texas Police K9 Dies After Being Left In Hot Car

to mention a few.

The relationship between police partners MUST be a very special bond. The officers literally place their lives in the hands, paws and teeth of each other.That MIGHT be why this case is so difficult - yet why did Officer Hoyland leave Chico in the car for SO long without checking on him or at least asking  another officer to check on Chico? What would the crime be had an officer left an arrestee in the car and that person died? What's the crime if a parent leaves a child in an unattended car-where the child dies? Are K9 OFFICERS:cops or  are they not?

Police dogs in California, hold the title and rank of police officer, and are listed on rosters as active department members.

From The Vindicator:

Police Chief Tom Sansone has said the car was running, but the air conditioning likely shut off after the car idled for about two hours. He said a device called a hot box, which sounds an alarm and automatically lowers the car windows if it gets too hot inside, was working fine. He said it may not have been turned on.

MAY not have been turned on?

Chief Sansone, if the HOT BOX was working fine-then Chico would be alive today.

Too many questions - not enough forthcoming honesty.

Had I killed Officer Chico - what would my charges be?

When a loved one dies due to neglect - it IS a crime.

At what point will public officials take OUR relationships\ with our beloved partners and family members seriously.

Chico served New Castle, Pennsylvania and the New Castle Police department with honour -  will New Castle serve Chico's memory with honour?

This hearkens me back to Nitro and our uninterested legislators.

If Nitro was a racetrack, our legislators would have fast-tracked a law which would give Ohio prosecutors the teeth they need to punish cruelty........like the teeth that police officers rely on from their K9 partners in life-threatening situations.