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By Mariam Guirgis
This golden retriever-Labrador mix couldn’t work as a service animal due to his high drive.
But that same high drive made the 2-year-old perfect for airport work.
Meet the Suffolk County Police Department’s newest canine asset, Trisko II, who’s been trained to detect explosives. And he just started a big assignment.
Trisko II will be monitoring the safety of travelers at Long Island MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma.
He was introduced to the public Wednesday morning at the airport.
“This is yet another step in public safety,” said Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine. “We have our hero here, Trisko, who is a dog that is going to keep us safe, because he’s going to make sure that there’s going to be no exploding bombs or anything of that nature on the plane[s].”
Like JFK and LaGuardia, MacArthur, is also a potential terror target, explained Luo Civello, the Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association president who stressed the importance of ensuring safety at all major travel hubs on Long Island.
“Trisko, the newest member of airport operations … will keep Long Islanders safe, search for bombs, and keep those at bay who would do us harm,” Civello said.
Trisko II was donated by Canine Companions, a national nonprofit that provides service dogs to people with disabilities.
After being deemed unsuitable for service work, he trained in explosives detection. The role Trisko II now fills became available after the previous SCPD canine officer assigned to the airport retired in January.
Robert Waring, SCPD acting commissioner, emphasized the importance of the canine unit’s role in maintaining airport safety — and acknowledged Canine Companions’ decision to redirect Trisko into law enforcement.
“I’d like to thank Pam and Patterson,” of Canine Companions, Waring said. “While Trisko did not fit your program, he has the necessary drive and temperament to be an asset to our department and travelers.”
Trisko II joins a growing list of Canine Companions graduates who were repurposed for public service.
Meet Trisko II, a golden retriever-Labrador mix who will be monitoring the safety of travelers at Long Island MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma. pic.twitter.com/lu5FnnQymy
— Greater Long Island 📰 (@Greater_LI) November 14, 2024
The group’s executive director, Debra Dougherty, noted the organization’s dogs often find meaningful roles outside of service support, eventually working in high-stakes positions from search and rescue to government service.
“We have several hundred dogs across the country released from our program, but they are born with a purpose,” Dougherty said. “We always look for these new and innovative placements for them.
“So I’d like to say, ‘Good luck, Trisko.'”
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Top: Trisko II, who’s been trained to detect explosives, was introduced to the public Wednesday at MacArthur Airport. Robert Waring, Suffolk County Police Acting Commissioner, is introducing him to the media in a press conference held Wednesday. (Credit: Mariam Guirgis)
Mariam Guirgis is a reporter with The SBU Media Group, part of Stony Brook University’s School of Communication and Journalism’s Working Newsroom program for students and local media.
