Police Department presents K-9 unit

BRADLEY BEACH — The July 10 borough council meeting got off to a “pawfect” start, thanks to Officers Anthony Badalamenti and Andrew Redmond, who led a presentation that discussed the police department’s K-9 unit. The presentation covered the history, training, duties and highlighted the three dogs that currently serve alongside human officers; Liga, Robby and Rico.

Badalamenti and Redmond, alongside Sgt. William Major, who was unable to attend the meeting, make up Bradley Beach’s K-9 unit, one of only a few in Monmouth County. In the 17 years since its inception in 2007, there have been six K-9s that have protected the streets of Bradley Beach and the greater community.

In addition to presenting the K-9s that currently make up the force, Badalamenti and Redmond recounted those who paved the way for the unit. Retired K-9s Max, Bas and Sting were feared on the streets of Bradley Beach and the surrounding communities by would-be criminals for more than 20 years combined between pups.

After a series of smash-and-grab burglaries on Main Street, the K-9 unit was established with K-9 Max. Since its inception the K-9 force has recovered seven illegal firearms, a series of major drug busts and worked alongside agencies including the FBI, federal Drug Enforcement Administration and the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.

Liga has been serving alongside handler Sgt. William Major since 2021. She is a Dutch shepherd and serves as a dual-purpose K-9, meaning she functions as a patrol dog as well as a narcotics odor detector. She recently assisted in uncovering three firearms, 785 grams of crystal methamphetamine, four kilograms of cocaine, 300 grams of fentanyl, $20,000 in cash in addition to other illegal manufacturing devices.

Ptl. Badalamenti’s K-9 Robby has also been with the force since 2021 and serves as a dual-purpose dog. Robby is trained as a patrol dog and has a scent focus on explosives detection.

The presentation wouldn’t have been complete without the appearance from the force’s latest addition Rico, who displayed his radiant energy and detection skills in Borough Hall. Rico, whose handler Ptl. Redmond, is a Belgian malinois and German shepherd trained in explosive detection. The young pup that joined the force this year, put his skills to the test as he sniffed the perimeter of the council chambers, successfully neutralizing any potential threat to meeting attendees.

“If you haven’t met him, I’m sure you’ve heard him, because he’s very vocal,” Redmond said of Rico.

Before entering the field K-9s are required to pass rigorous testing and a series of training exercises, some of which were displayed on video at the July 10 meeting.

Throughout its existence, the Bradley Beach Police Department K-9 unit has been the recipient of generous donations from Throw Away Dogs and The Friends of Solo Foundation. Friends of Solo, named in honor of a K-9 that was killed in the line of duty in Bradley Beach, raises funds to donate to K-9 services and most recently donated a ballistic armor vest for K-9 Robby. Throw Away Dogs, an organization located in Philadelphia rescues and rehabilitates K-9s and donates them free of charge to police stations. The Bradley Beach Police Department has been a benefactor of Throw Away Dogs, allowing them to continue to produce four legged officers without purchasing expense.

For the officers, on duty or not the K-9s are members of their families. When their shift is over, the dogs return home to live with their respective handlers and their families. According to Badalamenti, when the uniform comes on the dogs know that a job needs to be done.

Before bringing out Rico, Redmond said “They really are a part of our families, both at home and on the job.”

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