People across the board really like having the officers paired with the dogs. They feel like it humanizes the officers and helps build relationships.
When a BSU student experiences a traumatic event, police officers often meet them with a four-legged companion. That pal is Mikey, a trained comfort dog whose presence creates a calming effect.
“Having Mikey there helps them feel a little bit better and tell us what happened,” said BSUPD Detective Capt. Robert McEvoy, who has been Mikey’s handler since the American black Labrador retriever arrived at BSU in 2022. “She’s there to assist.”
Mikey (along with fellow BSU canine Zach) is part of a team of comfort dogs that supports communities in Plymouth County through an initiative organized by the District Attorney’s Office. The dogs often work together when attending community events or responding to a major crisis affecting a school.
With funding from federal grants, Associate Professor Leslie Sattler of the School of Social Work is studying the effectiveness of the comfort dog program. Preliminary results from four school districts are positive: 85 percent of students said officer-comfort dog teams made them feel safe in school while 83 percent reported that the teams made them feel calm when stressed. Parents and school staff said the program motivated students to attend classes.
“People across the board really like having the officers paired with the dogs,” Dr. Sattler said, noting the program enhances communication and trust. “They feel like it humanizes the officers and helps build relationships.”
Sattler gravitated toward this project because of her longstanding interest in alternative therapies. She provided adventure and wilderness-based therapy and dedicated much of her career to working with adolescents involved in the juvenile justice system.
“For me, it’s all about how can we improve community policing so people see officers as a resource instead of someone to fear,” she said.
Some BSU students even met Mikey when they were in high school and rekindled that connection in college.
“We’re developing relationships with our students before they are even our students,” McEvoy said.
Earlier this fall, McEvoy presented at the New England Association of Chiefs of Police conference, where he spoke about the positive difference Mikey makes on campus.
“There’s no judgement from the dog,” he said. “It’s unconditional love.”
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