Brinx barks ‘thank you’ before station tour

 

By SUSAN W. MURRAY
The Independent

 

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An appearance by Brinx, the Woodstock Police Department’s first canine, guarantees a crowd at the monthly Coffee with the Chief. Feb. 11 was no exception.
More than 30 attendees, ages newborn to senior citizen, turned out to see Chief Robert Lowen present a plaque to Chet and Nancy Hollister for their contributions to the K-9 program. Following the presentation and an opportunity for questions, Lowen and officers Ray Lanz and Joshua Rapacz conducted tours of the police station.
The Hollisters, who have lived on Pleasant Street for 66 years, read the first story about Brinx in The Woodstock Independent a little more than a year ago. Longtime dog lovers and owners, the couple decided that Brinx needed a bulletproof vest, just like the officers he assists and protects. Their $300 donation from a Social Security check jump-started a fund that not only provided the vest but paid for a doggie treadmill, as well. Later, the Hollisters donated an additional $300 to pay for Brinx’s trading cards.
Lanz, Brinx’s handler, took the dog to the Hollisters’ house one day to say thank you. After the visit, Lanz promised to return with Brinx soon. He kept his promise quickly, as that same evening Lanz stopped a vehicle on Pleasant Street, near the Hollisters’ home. From the porch, Nancy watched Lanz lead Brinx through an inspection of the vehicle for drugs. “What a pleasure it was to watch that dog work,” Nancy said.
Before Lowen made the presentation, he noted that Chet Hollister formerly taught in Algonquin schools. Among his students were former Woodstock Police Chief Joe Marvin, current detective Chip Amate and current officer Jeremy Mortimer.
Lanz and Brinx emerged from a door of the training room to assist with the presentation. Brinx briefly put his front paws up on the table to observe the crowd, barked once or twice, gave a short demonstration of following Lanz’s commands and stood with the chief, Lanz and the Hollisters for a photo opportunity.
The February Coffee marked the public’s first opportunity to tour the station since just before it opened in November 2001. Lowen told the crowd that station employees had spent the day cleaning and straightening up, remarking how proud everyone is of the facility. “They remember when they were in the dungeon of City Hall,” Lowen said.
The three groups split up, viewing everything from the chief’s office to the bank of computers patrol officers use to write reports and check e-mail. Of particular interest to the attendees were the booking area, jail cells and dispatch center. Police work continued despite the tour, as dispatchers fielded calls, and officers processed paperwork for an arrest for possession of heroin.
The next Coffee with the Chief will be held at 7 p.m., Monday, March 10, in the training room of the Woodstock Police Station on Lake Avenue.

 

This article was published in the March 5, 2008 edition of The Woodstock Independent.