Pubdate: 1 Mar 1999 Source: San Luis Obispo County Telegram-Tribune (CA) Copyright: 1999 San Luis Obispo County Telegram-Tribune Contact: P.O. Box 112, San Luis Obispo, CA 93406-0112 Website: http://www.sanluisobispo.com/ Section: SLO County Author: Maria T. Garcia, Telegram-Tribune MAN'S BEST FRIEND FIGHTS CRIME With sirens blaring and lights flashing in the darkness, a patrol car comes to a sudden stop. The door opens and Atascadero Police Officer Lesko vom Holzbach rushes out and apprehends a suspect. Lesko is immediately joined by his partner, Officer Robert Molle, who gives him the equivalent of a high five for a job well done. But Lesko and Molle never slap palms as two ordinary officers might after a successful training exercise. Instead, Molle strokes Lesko's silky black and tan coat while muttering an affectionate, but firm, "Good boy!" Lesko, a 23-month-old German shepherd, joined the Atascadero Police Department's K9 program in September and after graduating from an intensive 7-week training course, he became Molle's new partner on the beat. The dynamic duo has already apprehended numerous criminals, including a man who led police and California Highway Patrol officers on a high speed pursuit through Atascadero and Santa Margarita. Lesko and Molle share a unique bond, one strengthened by the dog's inherent instinct to obey his handler, whom he perceives as the Alpha dog, the leader of the pack. They're adept at reading each other's body language, and when Molle gets a rush of adrenaline, so does Lesko. Lesko -- who was imported to California from Frankfurt, Germany, when he was a young pup -- is trained to track and locate suspects. While he does participate in drug searches, Lesko's specialty is protecting Molle and fellow police officers. The dog obeys only Molle's orders and tunes out anyone else who may give him even identical commands. He acknowledges all other officers in the department, especially when dog biscuits are involved, but Lesko is trained to consider them his subordinates, Molle said. Molle and the dog respond to all police calls together, they go home together, they even watch TV together, with the show Adam 12 being a favorite of them both. "I'm always under his watchful eye," Molle said. "It's comforting knowing that he's always looking out for me." The Atascadero Police Department had sought another K9 since their second dog was shot by a criminal and had to retire more than four years ago. But the money to buy the dog couldn't be found in Atascadero's cash- strapped budget. So the department spearheaded a fund-raising campaign to get another dog. They worked with local civic organizations to sponsor "K9s in the Park," a series of barbecue fund-raisers held last year. Together the groups raised the $10,000 needed to buy Lesko from a German dog kennel. In December, the department received a $10,000 anonymous donation to buy another German shepherd, a narcotics trained dog named Filu. There are numerous benefits to having a K9 unit in the department, Molle said. "Unlike a bullet, the dog can be called back," said the 28-year-old Molle. "Lesko is the only piece of equipment that I have that can't be taken away from me and can't be used against me." But extra work is indeed required of K9 handlers. They assume full responsibility for their dogs, including taking them for walks when nature calls. Molle also modified his police cruiser to make it more comfortable for Lesko. He took the back seats out and replaced them with a wooden deck lined with a rubber mat. The patrol car's rear door is equipped with a remote control to allow Lesko to jump in and out at a moment's notice. The car is marked with the distinctive scent of a dog, which doesn't bother Molle anymore -- for him it's like getting used to a human partner's cologne. Although it's only been five months since Lesko and Molle hit the streets of Atascadero as a team, residents -- law-abiding or not -- know the pair well. - --- MAP posted-by: Mike Gogulski