Opelika police canine officer retires

When you read, “designate surplus personal property and authorize disposal” on the Opelika City Council agenda, a dog is not the first thing that pops to mind.

But that’s exactly what it was on Tuesday night when the council voted to release Wissel, a 8-year veteran police dog, to his handler, officer Craig Vickers.

“He’s going to get to go home and he’s going to be spoiled out of his mind. It’s his retirement,” Vickers said. “He’s as close to me as my kids are. He’s definitely part of my family.”

Wissel, a Belgian Malinois, is retiring due to age and arthritis. Although Wissel has lived with Vickers for some time now, the rest of Vickers’ family could not have a lot of contact with the dog for training reasons. Now, he gets to just be a dog.

Wissel spent eight years with the Opelika Police Department. Retirement is going to be difficult for the dog, Vickers said.

“When I get dressed and stuff like that he’s not used to me leaving without him. And I’m not use to leaving without him,” he said. “He (used to be) with me for 12 and a half hours a day.”

Capt. Melvin “Bubba” Harrison, head of the K-9 unit at OPD, said the dogs become like pets to the officers.

Currently, Vickers is helping to train a new police dog, Kaz, who is also a Belgian Malinois.

“We got to get him trained up and get him on the street with me,” Vickers said.

Like Wissel, Kaz will go home everyday with Vickers and when he retires, he’ll be released to an officer.

In other business:
In addition to proclaiming July 2009 Firefighter Month in Opelika and naming Bruce Brown police officer of the month, the Opelika City Council unanimously approved the following items at Tuesday night’s meeting:

* The Run to Read event was re-scheduled to Saturday, Oct. 3.

* An on-premise retail wine and beer license request for Alpen Café & Bakery.

* An request by Opelika Mainstreet for their annual Summer Celebration event. The event will be on July 17.

* A grant application for a Byrne Justice Assistance Grant for the Opelika Police Department. The grant would be divided between the OPD the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Auburn Police Division. OPD would receive $35,568.

* Authorization for the mayor to sign a Byrne Justice Assistance Grant in the amount of $5,028 for bulletproof vest for the Opelika Police Department.

* A public hearing was set for Aug. 4 to fix assessment of demolition of a house at 102 East Johnson Avenue.

* The designation and authorization of disposal of surplus personal property. In this item an Opelika Police dog was released to its handler for retirement.

* An authorization for an American Recovery and Reinvestment grant for the Opelika Fire Department. The fire department is asking for $1 million. The city will match $200,000. The money would be used for construction of future fire departments.

* A resolution to amend the city’s Action Community Development Block Action Plan.

* A resolution for a license agreement to install a balcony above at 115 8th Street, which is the old Goodson’s Building in downtown Opelika.

* A resolution for a license agreement to install a balcony above 833 South Railroad Avenue in downtown Opelika, which is the old Opelika Pharmacy building.

* A public hearing for the abatement of a weed nuisance at 702 Hillflo Avenue was set for Aug. 18.