It took just seconds for Ronin to find it.
His reward? A nice, big, chew toy.
Just another day in the life of a K-9 police officer.
Ronin and his human partner, Upper Southampton police Officer Robert Ungurean, along with Lower Southampton K-9 Officer Kyle Heasley and Arrow, are the newest members of a small number of Bucks County police departments with police K-9 units.
Department leaders say police dogs have proven to be important crime fighting and investigative tools. But in a time of slim budgets, few departments have the ability to invest the time and the tens of thousands of dollars it may take to train and keep them.
Some Bucks County officials discouraged Doylestown Borough from moving forward on its proposed ordinance to decrease penalties for small amount of marijuana possession but the council advanced the measure.
“We know that regarding drug use, greater exposure and availability, plus lower perceived risk … equal an increase in use, and I know that is not your goal, Diane Rosati, executive director of the Bucks County Drug and Alcohol Commission, told the borough council at its meeting Monday night.
Borough council voted 8 to 1 to advertise the ordinance, which would allow for lesser penalties for those found with less than 30 grams of marijuana, or 8 grams of hashish.
Relaxed marijuana penalty law moves forward in Doylestown Borough buckscountycouriertimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from buckscountycouriertimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The next day, the same thing happened in three more developments in the township, charging documents allege.
Police found similar thefts happened in Lower Makefield and Solebury a few days before the thefts in Buckingham, according to authorities.
The same person was caught on video at the scenes of all the thefts, police said. During the thefts, insurance and registration cards were among the items taken, court documents state.
Investigators found that at least 10 municipalities in New Jersey experienced the same thefts going back to September 2019, charging documents allege. The same person was seen there during those thefts, according to officials.
Falls police have launched a new program aimed at getting those suffering from substance abuse the help they might need.
In mid-February, the department began having two certified recovery specialists go along with officers to overdose and substance abuse calls.
Their goal is to connect those who need help with the appropriate treatment services and provide necessary follow-up.
“You know it’s a unique opportunity for us to get assistance to people who are in need, Chief Nelson Whitney said.
The leading cause of death in the township, the chief said, is drug overdoses.
Two specialists will join officers Monday through Friday. The program is funded through a grant by the Bucks County Drug and Alcohol Commission, which pays the specialists salaries.