Chief Brief: OPD lobby shut, news on K9 Bond

The Olney Police Department’s front office will remain closed for the time being, as police dispatcher Brandy Blodgett recovers from an accident, Chief Dan Birbeck said during his weekly briefing.

Members of the public should pay for permits or other fees at City Hall then bring them to the Police Department by calling 940-276-2013 to have an officer open the door, he said.

“The Police Department is open, even if the door is locked,” he said.

Chief Birbeck said he is now an adjunct instructor for Vernon College’s Police Academy, a position he believes will help with recruiting and keeping up with best policing practices, he said. “It puts me in front of a lot of student police officers who might be looking for a home,” he said.

He and Sgt. Dustin Hudson also have joined the Texas-Oklahoma Criminal Investigator Association to assist in multi-county investigations in the Texoma region.

The OPD will temporarily halt its K-9 program and retire K9 Officer Bond, following the death last month of his handler, Cpl. Miranda Wright, Chief Birbeck said.

“It takes a very special person to work a dedicated working dog and these dogs … bond very closely with their handlers,” he said. “Also in this world … dogs that are Bond’s age are not able to be sold to other police departments. Before Miranda passed, she made her wishes with Bond [to retire] very clear to us.”

Bond has a new home with a trusted K9 handler who trained him and will live out the rest of his life as a pet, Chief Birbeck said. The OPD will “regroup” and search for “the right person with the right dog at the right time so we can have the same success that we had with Miranda.” he said. “I need somebody I know is going to be dedicated to us. When we find that right fit i wll move on the K9 program.”

Officer Hollie Hawkins is making steady progress on code enforcement violations, with six properties now under orders from the City Council as of Aug. 26 to clean up violations or face abatement action and a lien, he said.

“We are in the 30-day window,” he said. “At the end of that, we will get warrants and step up and abate them if the owners don’t take care of it.”

The properties are 308 W. Edwards St., 613 S. Ave. C, 308 W. Grove St., 507 N. Ave D., 109 W. Grove St. and 1014 W. Hamilton St.

“It took a long time to create this problem. It’s going to take a hot second to clean it up,” he said. “We are on top of it … and there is a lot going on. If we don’t address a property that you’ve complained to us about, rest assured we are addressing it.”

Chief Birbeck also praised Olney High School’s move to limit cell phone use by students during the school day, commenting that School Resource Officer Devin Wright has reported “more social interaction between the kids … less conflict.”

“It’s good for the kids to have to interact with peers and have face-toface conversations and not be bombarded … all day from a cell phone,” he said.