Fruitland Police Department adds new member to its force

FRUITLAND, MD. – To strengthen its force, the Fruitland Police Department added a new member to its agency, but it’s not a human.

A promising pup, with capabilites like no other, might serve to be a valuable asset to FPD. Corporal Joshua Culver pushed to bring Boone the bloodhound to Fruitland.

“The pointed ear dogs, they can tell you that it was a person, that’s all they can tell us. Bloodhounds can break down those individual cells to a molecular level, so they can say Chief’s scent is different than my scent, and my scent is different than your scent and once they get on that originating odor, they track only that odor until they get there,” Corporal Culver said.

Boone won’t just be tracking criminals. Leslie Zimmerman, with the Alzheimer’s Association of the Greater Maryland Chapter, said Boone will play a crucial role in helping track down individuals with Alzheimer’s disease.

“More than 110,000 Marylanders are diagnosed with this disease, and in the state of Maryland, it has the highest prevalence compared to our other states,” Zimmerman said. “The fact that we have this resource here, in our region, is fantastic. We’re setting an example here, in our rural community, that others can follow,” Zimmerman added.

But that’s not all. Barry Johansson, President of the Lower Shore Autism Community, said the pup will help alleviate some of the stress of tracking down autistic individuals who go missing, when every minute matters.

“We have more time to prevent tragedies,” Johansson said. “We’re doing something to intervene when people wander from their homes, and that’s   especially important for people with autism and with younger children.”

While Boone is a one-of-a-kind resource on the Eastern Shore, Corporal Culver said Boone’s schedule is relatively flexible.

“He’s available. Once we get done training, if any other surrounding agencies [need help,] we’re here to help; that’s what we’re going to do and he’s super cute. I mean, that’s what everybody needs to know,” Corporal Culver said.