The Tiverton Police Department is about to welcome a new recruit to its ranks. Blue, an English Labrador retriever, will report for duty as a comfort dog the first week of September, when he turns eight weeks old.

Police Chief Patrick Jones told the Tiverton Town Council Monday that he became sold on the benefits of bringing a comfort dog program to his department after being presented with a proposal by Officer Shaun Wilson.

Jones asked Wilson to meet with councilors this week to highlight the details of that proposal. Joining Wilson was school resource officer Keith Medeiros of the Bristol Police Department, who brought along Brody, a handsome chocolate lab who is a beloved presence within the Bristol community and its schools.

Brody became part of the Bristol PD as a pup in 2020 and has worked alongside Medeiros, who is his trainer and handler, ever since. Medeiros is considered his owner and takes him home at the end of the work day. When Medeiros retires from the force, Brody will retire as well.

Comfort dogs like Blue and Brody are becoming increasingly common as law enforcement agencies look for ways to enhance community policing efforts and intensify their focus on the mental health struggles of citizens as well as their own personnel. The dogs do exactly what their name implies – they are a calming presence that bring a measure of peace to individuals experiencing anxiety or depression or emotional distress.

Having the dog in the schools also helps break down communication barriers between students and police officers, said Wilson. Often, kids are a bit shy and reluctant to engage with law enforcement personnel. It was an eye opener for him when Brody attended a field day at Tiverton’s Pocasset Elementary School.

“Every single kid stopped what they were doing to come running over and ask if they could pet the dog,” he said. Jokingly, he added, “I was like, ‘Wow, they don’t do that when I walk into the hallway.’”

Medeiros echoed Wilson’s comments on the dog’s positive impact on students.

“Since I’ve gotten Brody, I can 100 percent tell you that my career as an SRO has changed,” he said.

He has seen first-hand how learning for certain students has improved with Brody in the building. If kids are in crisis, he said, just getting them to enter the classroom can at times be a challenge.

“There are children now who just come to my office for two minutes. They pet Brody, get their fix, and go to class. They are not walking the halls. They are not getting into trouble. Their reward for getting through a class and learning is to see Brody…This is probably the best thing that the Bristol Police Department has done when it comes to community-based policing.”

Jones told councilors that costs associated with acquiring Tiverton’s puppy are nominal. Blue is expected to be donated by its breeder, Boonefield Labradors of Rindge, NH. The majority of associated costs, he said, have also been donated.

The next step is introducing Blue to Wilson, who like Medeiros, will be the dog’s primary handler and trainer. Wilson will be working the day shift and intends to bring Blue to Tiverton’s schools as often as possible.

Blue will need to get acclimated to the department, Jones said, at which point a swearing-in ceremony with the council will be scheduled. Presumably, Blue will stay awake for the event. Brody, who was 12 weeks old at the time and clearly unimpressed by the significance of the occasion, slept through his entire ceremony at the Bristol Police Department and achieved a measure of fame after the fact, when a video of the event went viral.