Preacher, an 18-month-old Black Labrador Retriever, joined the Saco Police Department last year and is already proving himself to be an esteemed member of the community.

Police Chief Jack Clements said Preacher is a valuable asset to the department, improving efficiency -- especially when it comes to finding missing persons or evidence retrieval.

According to Clements, Preacher was purchased from Marantha Farm Kennels, a specialty breeder in Buxton using federal grant money.

Clements said it has been several years since his department had a K-9 officer. While nearby communities such as Scarborough and Buxton also have K-9 resources, other communities including Biddeford and Old Orchard Beach, do not have a K-9 unit.

While the Maine State Police and some other communities have K-9 units available for patrols and criminal apprehension, Preacher is primarily a search and rescue dog.

“He was bred specifically for this purpose,” Clements said. “It’s all about the nose, especially when it comes to finding a missing person or discovering narcotics.”

According to Clements, the Saco Police Department is receiving an increasing number of calls regarding missing persons. Preacher, he said, can locate those persons much faster than a traditional search by patrol officers.

“We could have officers out there for hours, combing the woods with flashlights. But a K-9 can significantly improve our efficiency by being much faster and saving resources,” Clements said.

Under existing mutual-aid agreements, Clements said that Preacher will also be available for other departments, including Biddeford and Old Orchard Beach.

“We all are looking every day about how to improve efficiency and better serve our community,” Clements said.

Preacher is still undergoing daily training, including a more intense 10-hour day of training every Wednesday with a group of other canines, known as Law Enforcement Dogs of Maine, which includes K-9 units throughout southern Maine.

Police Officer Ryan Ambrozy is Preacher’s primary handler and said a K-9 dog needs 400 hours of training.

Preacher is a very friendly and curious dog.

 “He is always looking to work, constantly sniffing everything. That’s what he was trained to do,” Ambrozy said.

When he’s not working to find narcotics or missing persons, Preacher resides at Ambrozy’s home, where he enjoys walking on wooded trails and playing with Ambrozy’s German Shepard.

“He loves everyone,” Ambrozy said. “He has a great personality and is always eager to work.”

Randy Seaver is a cranky, nearly insufferable malcontent living in Biddeford. He is a retired newspaper editor and the principal of a small strategic communications consulting firm. He may be contacted at randy@randyseaver.com.

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