Cop's Best Friend

Police dogs learn many single-word commands.

Seek. Track. Hold.

But for a 10-year-old German shepherd named Bento, the most important word - loyalty - isn't a command.

It's in his character.

"He's always had my back," says Glassboro Police Sgt. Ryan Knight, Bento's handler since 2006.

"As far as he's concerned," Knight adds, "it's me and him."

I meet the duo at home in Franklin Township, where Knight lives with his wife, Glassboro Police Cpl. Mindy Knight, and their 16-month-old son, Ryan Jr.

Bento, who has lived with the Ryans for years, retired July 1. He was diagnosed with cancer in May.

"They found a malignant mass on his spleen," Knight, 37, recalls. "They said he had two or three months. But, knock wood, he's doing good."

Relaxing on the dining room floor, Bento barely resembles the fiercely focused force of nature featured in the video tribute made for his retirement.

It shows a trainer wearing protective padding as he's apprehended by Bento, at Knight's command ("Get him").

Which the 95-pound dog does, rather effectively.

"Bento is like me," Knight says. "Calm, mild-mannered . . . but when the time comes, the job gets done.

"It wasn't like he pulled people out of burning buildings, but we did a lot of good jobs together," he adds. "It was business for him. No muss, no fuss."

A Gloucester County community of 18,500, Glassboro - the home of Rowan University's main campus - began its police K-9 program in 1958.

Each of the department's five squads of officers has a handler and a dog. When the animals retire, the borough council holds a recognition ceremony, complete with a proclamation.

"There's a plaque outside the police station with the names of all the [canine] retirees on it," longtime Mayor Leo J. McCabe says. "They contribute so much to Glassboro, and we think it's important to recognize their service, and for residents to know what they do."

The dogs track suspects, search for missing persons, locate evidence, and detect explosives, dead bodies, or illegal drugs. They also help build relationships between the police department and the community, appearing at schools, parades, and special events.

Most are male German shepherds, but the ranks include some females and other breeds. Glassboro's dogs, and their handlers, are trained at the Philadelphia Police K-9 Academy.

"A dog is an excellent locating tool," says Paul Bryant Jr., a senior trainer who retired from the academy in May after 31 years.

He's familiar with Glassboro's program ("They really do it right") as well as with Knight and Bento, calling them "a truly professional team."

Bryant says it's a myth that police dogs must be ferocious; animals that are excessively aggressive tend to wash out during the standard 560 hours of training.

Drug-sniffing dogs receive another 400 hours, and Bento was particularly adept at the task, says Sgt. Daniel Eliasen, who is in charge of Glassboro's program.

"The main importance of the dog is providing safety, not just for the handler but for the public," he says. "Sometimes just having a dog on the scene is enough to quell a situation. It's a respect thing people have."

Bento loved working but appears to be enjoying retirement, says Knight, as the beautiful animal - relaxed but alert - observes us.

"We let him do whatever he wants," Knight says. "We let him eat whatever he wants.

"I'm not the first handler to lose a dog," he adds. "So I'm kind of not thinking about it. I'm enjoying the time we have with him."