DC Peter Vanderduim Interview

Q: What inspired you to become a k9 handler?

In the early 1990’s I saw a need within the service for a K9 unit. My grandfather was a police officer in Holland where K9 officers are common, and that influenced my interest in developing DRPS’s own K9 unit. I submitted numerous proposals in 1991, however it wasn’t until I took the effective presentation course as a decentralized training officer in 1992 that the proposal gained momentum. I earned the position through the standard application process and began working to establish the unit. I was responsible for coming up with the funds and fortunately, the Lions Club donated a large lump sum of money and the remainder of the funds came through t-shirt fundraisers. A local radio station, KX96 donated promotional spots for the K9 Support Fund to assist in raising money. The K9 program was announced in November of 1992.

Q: Describe your career on the k9 Unit

The canine unit was launched in 1993 with myself as the solo K9 officer and it stayed that way for nearly six years. I was on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and I accumulated over 500 hours of overtime on call outs. I trained with Toronto Police Service (TPS) and built my own hides and jumps to train my police service dog (PSD). I built the first canine cage in the back of a used cruiser to get the unit up and running. I helped in the training and roll out of additional K9 officers and remained on the unit until I retired in 2007.

Q: How many dogs did you have during your career?

My first PSD was a large German Shepherd name Leo. Leo specialized in search and seizure and worked on the road for four years. My second working dog was an English Field Springer named Dillon. Dillon specialized in drugs and explosives searches.

While establishing the unit, I have to give credit and thanks to Kit and Kapoodle in Oshawa for grooming the dogs and Durham Veterinary Clinic in Bowmanville for caring for the dogs in the 1990’s. In the 1990’s each dog cost approximately $5,000.00.

Q: What was training like?

I trained with the TPS K9 unit for six months. Each dog trains in obedience, agility, searches and tracks for individuals and articles, building searches and handler protection. These skills have proven useful for locating missing persons, suicidal persons, and apprehending suspects.

The dogs were kept at the handler’s home, but were not socialized. The dogs know they are working when fitted in their equipment. For example, harnesses are used for tracking whereas collars are used for apprehensions.

Q: What are some of your most memorable moments from the unit?

One call I will never forget happened in the middle of winter, an elderly female suffering from Alzheimer’s went missing in Bowmanville. She had been missing for a couple weeks. Investigators had been unable to locate the female, however a witness reported seeing the female at Canadian Tire weeks before. I was called out to assist. It was a snowy, windy day. The dog picked up a smell in the wind and began searching the field behind Canadian Tire, successfully locating the female’s body which had been covered in snow. Although the ending was tragic and not what we had hoped for, we were was able to provide her family with closure.

Another time, we were deployed to assist in the search for a three-year-old boy who wandered out of his backyard and into a large corn field. The child was located safely and returned home.

We also helped the OPP with vehicle searches for drugs, resulting in convictions in court. Leo was deployed to assist in evidence collecting in the Port Perry bank robbery in 1994. The DRPS K9 unit was also deployed to assist in evidence collection during the murder of Cobourg Police Officer Chris Garrett.

Q: How do you believe DRPS has benefitted from the k9 unit?

Officer safety has been enhanced with the units development as that is its primary function. The service’s ability to find evidence and locate and apprehend suspects has increased. The K9 unit is also an excellent public relations tool.

Q: Besides working in the k9 unit, what other positions did you hold during your career?

I worked as a general patrol officer, collision investigations and was a decentralized training officer.

Q: Fun facts

As an expert K9 witness testifying in court, I had to be sworn in by the Judge. As a joke, a Judge once requested PSD Leo be sworn is as well but I advised the Judge he couldn’t be, as he was not a Canadian citizen. Little did I know, the Judge was also a Citizenship Judge and several days later, PSD Leo received his Canadian Citizenship in the mail.

Q: What are your hopes for the k9 unit moving forward?

I would like to see the K9 unit have its own training/development facility in the future. I credit the support of my family and the community for my success as the founding member of the DRPS K9 unit.

Family: Sharon Vanderduim (Wife), Emily Vanderduim (daughter), Nicholas Vanderduim (son), Michael Vanderduim (son)