Nassau police picking new dogs

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NEWS) - Some German shepherds have arrived on Long Island, where officials hope they have what it takes to join the ranks of Nassau's finest.

Dogs are one of the most valuable tools in law enforcement. Nassau County's K9 Unit on Monday was set to handpick four new dogs to join the police department.

Acting Police Commissioner Thomas Krumpter said the dogs are all from Eastern Europe and are between 10 and 24 months old. The German shepherds will be keeping communities safe and drugs off the streets.

"We want to make sure they have the retrieval drive, we want to make sure the dog is social," Lt. Tery Loughlin said. "We don't want dogs that are super-aggressive."

Lt. Tery Loughlin said not every dog is a natural crime fighter. He helps with the selection process. The dogs are tested in different environments. It's important they're able to fetch and go through tunnels without hesitation.

"We want to see how the dogs react to open staircases, fire escapes, shiny floors," Loughlin said.

Each dog costs $9,000. Two of them will be purchased by the county. The other two are being donated. Linda Kaplan and Robert Glassman have family in law enforcement. They say you can't put a price on protection.

"It gives us a great deal satisfaction knowing that we're helping out in some way," Robert Glassman said.

"And not just placing a dog, we're helping the officers, protecting them," Linda Kaplan said.

The dogs that don't get chosen go back to the kennel. Officials said they'll be placed with other public safety agencies where they're better suited. The dogs chosen will be ready to go by the end of the year.