handler Senior Corporal Donna DiClemente, and officer Vinn, the dog.
Officer Vinn originally arrived to the Capitol Police in October 2022 through the non-profit Canine Companions, and has since serviced the New Castle County Courthouse in Wilmington.
Corporal DiClemente says Vinn has since proved his effectiveness, citing one story about an unnamed judge in case involving a nervous child.
“Quite frankly, she was very skeptical from what I understood. And then, after she saw the benefit that the dog had, for the child, she continued to request us after that” she said.
DiClemente says Vinn knows over 40 commands, including a calming pressure therapy technique, and passed the Assistance Dog International test, all of which help him calm victims’ nerves to share testimony.
She notes there have been cases where judges would have opted to not interview a victim at all had Vinn’s calming presence not been an option.
Capitol Police Chief William Thompson says with the expansion statewide, there’s also plans to add an additional dog and handler to the program.
“Once we get those grants nailed down, and [get] a dog, then it’s just a matter of the dog coming back and starting training with their partner. They would go through that training, and they’d be ready to go out into the field and start assisting Donna and Vinn with all the requests that we’re getting.” he said.
Thompson says the officer interested in joining the facility dog program would also briefly partner with a retired K-9 capitol officer to select the dog and learn how to handle the dog on assignments.
