Lower Burrell police Sgt. Cernava and K-9 partner Dax to retire: 'It just seems right'
Lower Burrell’s police K-9 Dax is 11. In dog years, that’s a bit over 60. His handler, Sgt. Steve Cernava, turns 57 next month.
By Cernava’s calculation, both are old enough to retire. They’ll work their final day together on the Lower Burrell police force at the end of the month.
“It just seems right,” Cernava said, who has been on the force for 24 years.
Dax will spend his golden years in familiar company — at home with Cernava and his family.
“He will get to sleep as long as he likes,” Cernava said, “and probably chase a lot of tennis balls.”
Dax has been a Lower Burrell police dog for nine years, following on the heels of Odin, the K-9 of Officer Derek Kotecki. Odin retired after Kotecki was killed on duty in 2011.
Cernava exceeded everybody’s expectations as a police dog handler, said Chief John Marhefka, who on more than one occasion was Dax’s “chew toy” during K-9 demonstrations.
The chief credited Dax with helping with drug busts and other important police work.
“The whole department will miss them,” he said. “We are like a little happy family. I remember when Steve came on the force. How did this happen so fast?”
Through the years, Dax has greeted community and church groups, school students, Scouts — and anyone who might happen upon Cernava on foot patrol in the city.
The friendly German shepherd commands attention easily.
“I was doing a demonstration at an elementary school, and I walked in and had the kids’ attention for only 30 seconds,” Cernava said. “When I brought Dax in the classroom, the kids started screaming and yelling.”
Cernava refers to himself as Dax’s “chauffeur.”
He couldn’t have asked for a more friendly dog.
“I never had to worry about him being aggressive with people. He’s still a gentleman, but a little older and grayer.”
Dax has been instrumental in searches for suspects, weapons, drugs and more. He is trained to enter buildings to check for danger ahead of police officers to protect them.
Cernava was particularly impressed with Dax when he found a stolen gun tossed out a car window during a police chase along New Kensington’s Industrial Boulevard.
“I ran Dax along the road, and he put his head in the bushes alongside the road and found the gun partially buried in the mud after the night’s rain.”
A native of Canonsburg, Cernava said Lower Burrell was a great community in which to spend most of his police career after stints in Ocean City, Md., California and Upper Burrell.
“I’ve had my fair share of seeing people in their worst possible state,” he said.
Cernava found rewards in helping others down on their luck, homeless or seeking shelter after a tragedy.
For example, one day before going out on shift, Cernava read a report about the theft of a boy’s bike along Leechburg Road. Out on patrol, “I found it in Kinloch and was able to get that bicycle back to that kid,” he said.
“It didn’t seem like a big deal. But it’s the small things in this line of work that you get the most enjoyment out of.”
One of the graces acquired after many years of service is recognizing the role of respect, he said.
“Learning to treat people with respect — whether they are on the wrong end of the law or the right end — you get more positive results, even from someone who did something wrong.”
Also, empathy goes a long way, Cernava said.
“You are dealing with people living their worst possible moments in life,” he said. “People don’t call us to come to their house to eat cake.”
Cernava found people calmed down and responded better when he gave them time to talk, even in a heated situation.
“When I first started, I thought you just had to get in there, take a report and get the arrest,” he said. “But I found it’s all right to loosen up and take the time to talk to someone. It comes with age.”
Cernava thanks his family, particularly his wife, Mary, who is a nurse, for “putting up with this line of work.” They have two sons, Chester and Stefan, and a grandson.
Cernava also thanked Marhefka, the department and the city council for his tenure and their decision to carry on the K-9 program.
Later this year, city Patrolman Aaron Rodgers will work with a new police dog, courtesy of the Officer Brian Shaw Foundation.
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