DEKALB – Lori York, officer at NIU, spoke with the Northern Star about her job as K9 officer and her experiences.
Question: What’s your role and history as a police officer here at NIU?
Answer: “I am a patrol division officer and K9 handler. Think of my canine as an extra tool to help me do my job. I was hired as a dispatcher by NIU in 2016 and then became a patrol officer. Around this time NIU was looking for a second K9 officer. I submitted my letter of intent, was interviewed and was chosen.”
Q: What is your educational background?
A: “This is my 30th year of policing. I have a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, a master’s of forensic policing. I am police academy certified. I am a firearms instructor, EMT (emergency medical technician) and the police department at NIU is ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) -certified.”
Q: Can you tell me about your K9 unit?
A: “Her name is Izzy. She is a sniffer dog, so whenever I give her the command to sniff, she does it. She was bred in Hungary and when she turned 1 year old, her breeder sold her to a kennel in Indiana where I would meet her. She is a European German Shepherd, and the difference between a European German Shepherd and an American German Shepherd is the slope on its back. It’s been bred out of them by the European breeders because it can cause back problems and she wouldn’t be able to do what she does. All of the commands are actually in Dutch because that’s what the owner in Hungary decided.”
Q: Have you ever worked as a K9 officer before?
A: “This is actually the first time I’ve had a K9. My K9 experience is here, NIU.”
Q: What qualities do you admire most about Izzy?
A: “Her loyalty, bravery and intelligence. This is what inspires me to be her handler. Those aren’t just qualities I admire about her – those are her true qualities. She can’t hide it, she can’t fake it, she can’t turn it on and off, that is just who she is. She’s loyal, she’s brave, she’s intelligent. It’s absolutely fascinating because that is just the creature she is. She can be trained to do the job that she does and never question it because she has so much trust in me and that I’m not going to put her in a situation where she’s going to be hurt. Trying to compare her to normal dogs is like comparing apples and oranges.”
Q: How difficult is it to look after Izzy?
A: “It’s not difficult, it’s just a constant thing that requires patience and commitment. She knows every need she has as an animal to stay alive comes from me. This helps build that handler-K9 bond. You can’t ask the dog to do dangerous things for you unless you build a bond. I guess a lot of the people who have questions about canines are like “you know you’re making the dog work,” and “it’s not getting paid” – but she is. Every single one of her needs is met by me. She will never wonder or worry that she’s ever gonna be safe, have shelter, have security.”
