Officers Brian Cionni and Daryn Tallman of the Boardman Police Canine Unit gave an overview of the township's successful canine program at Tuesday's meeting, complete with a demonstration by Eros, one of the two canines that staff the unit. 
 
Here are a few quick facts about Boardman's Canine Unit:
  • All money for the canine unit comes from monetary and in-kind donations. No portion of the general budget is allocated to the program, meaning that the township saves money.
  • The canine officers - Sumo and Eros - are Belgian Malinois. 
  • The average career of a canine is five to eight years, dependent on the physical health of the dog.
  • The dogs go to work every day unless they are sick. 
  • Boardman was the first agency in the tri-county area to house a canine unit. 
  • Dogs are trained to locate narcotics, missing persons, articles of clothing, weapons, criminals and much more. 
  • 16 hours of training are required monthly to remain on the job. This goes for both the human and the canine. 
  • All of the commands given to the Boardman police dogs are in Dutch because the dogs are from Holland. All commands for any canine officer in any department are always from the dog's country of origin.