(Updated) Vader Brings New Opportunities, Talents to Meriden's Crime Suppression Unit

Drug users and dealers beware, there's a new top dog in the community - and he's working for the Meriden Police Department.

Meet the newest member of the Meriden Police Department’s Crime Suppression Unit, Vader.

The 22-year-old black lab joined the team officially about a week ago after completing a 12-week training course and month of work alongside handler Det. David Visconti Jr. and already the sharp-nosed dog is paying dividends for the department.

“Vader will certainly be an asset to our department,” Police Chief Jeffry Cossette said. “With his temperament, black labs are more energetic and playful and they have keener noses. Vader is assigned to work with the narcotics unit, but in the future, he could very well assist in the detection of nitrates used in bombs or even assist in above water searches to find missing bodies.”

Unlike dogs of the past, when the department first established a K-9 unit almost 40 years ago and before the program was resurrected in 2011, Cossette said Vader operates on a passive manner and responds to play rather than food.

The result? A dog that is always ready to search, does not bite and who will be able to serve the department for the next 10-14 years with costs limited to food and pet care such as veterinarian visits.

For the department, the K-9 unit has proven effective in the past with the use of K-9 Anouke and K-9 Kilo, both German Shepherds, successfully completing more than 30 tracks in recent years. Visconti said in a week on the job, Vader is already making a difference in the Crime Suppression Unit and has identified even the smallest finds such as empty bags that previously contained crack.

“He picks up on the smallest scents,” Visconti said. “The lab is becoming more popular for use in sniff searches as they are able to quickly and effectively identify even small amounts of a wide variety of drugs and drug money. They are seen across the state in communities including Bridgeport, Middletown and Manchester.”

Hailing from Canada and purchased based on his demeanor, Vader was very playful in the chief’s office Tuesday, hunting down his tennis ball and doing so in a very timely and effective manner. He is already trained to sniff out ecstasy, marijuana, cocaine, crack and more, Visconti said.

Vader was purchased by the department using donated funds from throughout the community and a matching grant from the National Association of Police Chiefs. The grant and donations also helped purchase equipment for Vader, a certified member of the North American Police Work Dog Association.

“This will provide us with a wide variety of new opportunities, including being able to enhance efforts when serving search warrants and locating hiding places that might otherwise be missed,” Visconti said. “He can also help us track down evidence that suspects may attempt to ditch along the way. In the past, that would have taken us an hour to do. He can find the evidence in minutes.”

The department also recently received two cages for transportation of the dogs. Detectives are currently seeking help in finding donations to purchase a vehicle for them, outside of any costs to the taxpayer.

“He’s truly an asset to the department and the community as a whole,” Cossette said.

Here’s an inside look at Vader:

K-9 Vader
Age: 22 months
Service Time: 1 week
Breed: Black Labrador Retriever
Origin: Canada
Handler: Det. David Visconti Jr.
Notes: After 12 weeks of training and a month of working with Visconti, Vader hit the road one week ago. A passive, trained non-bite dog, he can sniff out scents in enclosed places and find a spot where drugs once sat or even empty bags once the drugs are gone.

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