What happens when cops retire?
Usually, they keep working — as anyone from a law enforcement family will tell you.
Maybe they’ll take a job working security, whether it’s at a university or hospital. Or maybe they’ll devote all their time to that side business they were nurturing while working as police.
For whatever reason, lots of cops have maniacal work ethics. Apparently the same thing applies to police dogs.
Thursday, Nov. 1 was the final day in the nine-year career of Havoc, the Seymour Police Department’s canine.
It was a bittersweet day for Officer Todd Romagna, Havoc’s partner. It was probably even worse for Havoc.
Romagna fully expected Havoc to be confused, maybe sad, on the morning of Friday, Nov. 2 as Romagna left to report to the police department as Havoc stared out a window in their home.
For the first time in nine years, Havoc won’t be tagging going.
It wasn’t necessarily Romagna’s companionship the dog will miss the most.
Rather, it’s the action.
Some dogs like to fetch sticks and chase their tales. Havoc? He gets giddy sniffing cars for narcotics, searching the woods for a discarded weapon and tracking a fleeing felon down a darkened street.
“He loves to work. He loves to do the things we do in police work,” Romagna said Nov. 1.
Chief Michael Metzler and Lt. Paul Satkowski said the time had come to retire Havoc because the dog had served almost double the amount of time of the typical police dog.
And yes, Raider, a young hot shot German Shepherd with something to prove, is waiting in the wings. Raider was brought into the SPD fold in 2010.
Raider is not yet “cross-trained” in both suspect and drug searches. Metzler said it remains to be seen whether the department will replace Havoc or stick with just Raider.
Raider has some large bite marks to fill. Metzler and Satkowski recalled with a chuckle the day police brass unveiled Raider to the world. It was Raider’s big debut.
Yet Havoc, like Sean Connery as the street smart Chicago beat cop in “The Untouchables,” stole the show when he ambled over to a police cruiser, unlocked the door with his snout and hopped in. It was a “trick” Havoc taught himself.
“I had no idea he could do that,” Metzler said.
Havoc’s self-taught trick is at the start of the following video. The article continues below.
Havoc remains in decent shape — he’s never been injured on the job — but he’s pushing 11 years old. The dog just can’t forcibly subdue a suspect like he did when he was a young pup.
Romagna, on the job in Seymour for 15 years, fully supports the decision to retire Havoc.
The bond between canine and canine handler is deep. In addition to riding together during their eight-hour shifts, Havoc lives with Romagna.
Romagna’s two kids grew up with Havoc. Now it’s time to transition Havoc into his new, full-time gig — the Romagna family dog.
“He’ll be able to relax in the house and stroll around the yard. There’s no doubt that he is going to miss working,” Romagna said. “He’s been jumping in a police car every day for nine years to go to work. I’m sure it’s going to effect him. Mentally, I’m sure he still wants to work. Physically, it’s time to retire.”
The officer is grateful he and Havoc were able to have an unusually long career for a canine unit.
That exposed Havoc to a bit of everything. And Havoc worked right up to his last day. The day before the Valley Indy interview, Havoc had searched through a wooded area after someone reported seeing a man display a gun on the Ansonia-Seymour town line.
A few weeks prior Havoc had helped track down a despondent man who needed medical attention.
“The good thing about Havoc is that he’s pretty much been exposed to every type of canine police work over the years. We’ve had some really good evidence recovery. We’ve located people who were thinking of doing to themselves. We prevented that,” Romagna said. “We’ve found criminal suspects. We’ve used him in use of force situations. He really has been able to touch on every aspect in canine law enforcement.”
Metzler praised Romagna for having the right temperament to turn Havoc into a solid police dog.
Romagna will continue as a patrol officer, just minus the dog.
Satkowski, the department’s lieutenant, also complimented Romagna — and his partner.
“They have been a great team together,” Satkowski said. “I wish the dog well in his retirement.”
Members of the Seymour Police Commissioners are scheduled to note Havoc’s service to the department at their next meeting.