Jeannette officer brings K-9 Diesel back to the police force

Diesel the police dog was back home Tuesday morning after three weeks in a kennel.

He bounded through handler Jeannette police Sgt. Jim Phillips’ yard, re-familiarizing himself with the surroundings and playing fetch with his favorite ball. Phillips used Dutch commands to communicate with the 4-year-old Belgian malinois, outside of telling Diesel “good boy.”

Phillips said he was ecstatic to be reunited with his partner and head back to work Thursday after Jeannette Mayor Curtis Antoniak decided to reinstate the police dog program.

“It’s great to have him home,” Phillips said. “I can tell he’s super amped up to be here.”

The abrupt decision Monday to restore Diesel to the force was just as unexpected as the move July 23 that eliminated the two-dog program. City officials said then a review showed the costs — $214,000 in 2023, including two officers’ regular wages, overtime and fuel for their SUVs, among other expenses — were outweighing the benefits.

Kilo, a Dutch shepherd, will not be returning to work. Officer Matthew Painter brought the dog with him when he left the Uniontown police force in 2021, but Kilo only worked in Jeannette for a short time.

City officials said they evaluated the police dogs’ performance by focusing on how many self-initiated arrests the canines and their handlers made that could not have otherwise been made by their human counterparts alone. That number, between 2018 and so far in 2024, was two, officials said. There were 152 police dog deployments in that time, but the majority involved the canine either assisting another officer or helping an outside agency.

Phillips has disputed those numbers and said a police dog is a tool that can be used by other officers and agencies. He believes city officials did not do a complete search of the department’s records.

Antoniak said Tuesday he would like to see Diesel and Phillips be more visible in public during the day, but the police contract governs a process for bidding on shifts.

“We have to better utilize the dog,” Antoniak said. “We’re going to hope that we get more production from the dog.”

Diesel had been in a kennel since late July after Phillips didn’t immediately sign an agreement with the city to take ownership, citing liability concerns and a legal review of the document. The kennel was going to be unavailable for a time starting this week, which meant Diesel would have had to be moved elsewhere Wednesday.

Antoniak said his emotions at the thought of Diesel staying in a kennel was a factor in his decision to reinstate the program. Would-be benefactors have come forward to offer donations to support the program.

“We definitely have people reaching out, and that’s how we’re going to pay for it,” he said.

Solicitor Tim Witt said those funds could be used for salary, overtime or any other program cost. Bringing back one dog only will represent some cost savings, he said. City manager Ethan Keedy was unavailable Tuesday. Police Chief Derek Manley did not return a message.

Members of the public attended council’s Aug. 8 meeting and spoke against the decision to end the program.

The July 23 disbandment came about a month after Phillips and Painter filed a federal lawsuit, claiming the city violated labor laws by not paying overtime and costs associated with caring for the two dogs outside of normal working hours. In documents released this month, city officials estimate those costs could amount to as much as $35,000 per officer.

It was unclear if any changes would be made regarding Phillips’ pay with Diesel returning to work. Witt declined to comment.

In a response to the lawsuit filed Monday, attorneys representing Jeannette denied liability.

The city bought Diesel in 2022 with the help of an $11,000 donation from the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office. Diesel replaced Arees, a German shepherd, who retired that year and now lives with Phillips.

He picked Diesel up Tuesday from the kennel using the SUV bought entirely with donations for the police dog program. Money raised by Phillips and the city helped pay for the purchase and outfitting of an SUV in 2023 that allowed Kilo to join Painter on the job in Jeannette.

That SUV has been turned in.

Phillips said he will get Diesel caught up with training.

“I’m really looking forward to getting back in the swing of things and getting him back on patrol with us,” he said. “We’re going to continue on doing the same enforcement methods that I’ve been doing the last 10 years. Those methods have been a success.”