City canine officer earns deserved retirement
Andrew Christiansen
Reporter
There once was a television show called “Chico and the Man.” That show was retired long ago, and Goldendale’s own Chico and the Man have also retired as a team this month.
Goldendale’s “Man” is Lieutenant Reggie Bartkowski of the Goldendale Police. Chico is his German Shepherd police dog. From this point on, Bartkowski (who is not retiring) is a solo act, as 10-year-old Chico has retired with honors. The Goldendale city council and Police Department presented the team a plaque, thanking them for years of service.
Chico came to Goldendale in May 2002, certified for patrol and search and rescue. He was born in Germany, where he was initially trained. Bartkowski was fitted to Chico at Kraft Werk, near Olympia, a company that specializes in police dogs. “We didn’t want an edgy dog that might be suitable for some place like Seattle, and he would be living in a home with kids” said Barkowski. “This is Goldendale and we needed a calmer dog, which he is.”
Once Chico and Bartkowski were certified for work in Goldendale, they added certification as a drug team, which took about 300 hours of training. Chico’s good temperament made him a favorite at school programs, and he now is a family pet at the Bartkowski household. Bartkowski will take over the food and medical bills that were previously paid by the city.
During Chico’s career, he was active on 300 drug cases, including a major bust netting 30 pounds of marijuana. He is also responsible for finding a pound of methamphetamines and has hit on traces of cocaine and heroin. In addition to drug confiscation, Chico and Bartkowski were responsible for seizing 30 cars and more than $150,000 in cash. Chico protected Bartkowski and other officers on a number of disturbance calls, in addition to the drug work. Chico and Bartkowski were often called to assist searches in other jurisdictions, including Sherman, Wasco, Gilliam, and Klickitat counties; the Washington State Patrol; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency; and intertribal agencies. According to Bartkowski, Chico was never wounded or injured on the job, and while his knees are getting a bit arthritic, it is conceivable Chico could still help out as a volunteer for some needy cause like searching for a missing child.
Otherwise, this Chico is taking it easy…no more training, no more chasing bad guys…just another family dog.
Fire Victims Auction Saturday
The 15th Annual Fire Victims Fund Auction will be held on Saturday, May 1, at the Rural 7 Fire Hall.
This auction raises money for the Fire Victims Fund, which makes cash available to people who have lost their home due to fire. The committee will issue funds to cover immediate expenses until their insurance or other resources become available.
The auction is sponsored by Rural 7, the Goldendale City Fire Department, and the Centerville Fire Department. The fund has helped over 27 victims to date and has dispersed more than $10,000. The fund has also enabled the three fire departments to purchase unique and special tools that would otherwise be unavailable to help enhance firefighting efforts.
Item donations are accepted until auction begins. The auction is open to the public.
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