Reflecting on their first year working at the Augusta Regional Airport, Cpl. John Harvey of the Richmond County Marshal’s Office said he and his young K-9 Lexi have enjoyed getting to know the many friendly faces of Augusta.
After working for the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office for 10 years, seven of which were spent with the K-9 unit, and taking a brief hiatus from law enforcement to care for his newborn son, Harvey said his time at the airport with his black Labrador retriever could only be described as a joyous and friendly experience.
Smiling while describing how many flyers often thank him and Lexi for serving and protecting, Harvey said he and Lexi’s year have been colored full with personal connections that span many different ages.
“My favorite aspect of working out here at the airport is that almost all of my interactions are positive. People are happy to see me and the dog. It makes them feel safe, and they know that we’re here to provide a service and to keep the airport safe while they’re traveling,” said Harvey.
Working to soon fully take over for the first longtime airport handler, Sgt. Thomas Boettcher, and his veteran K-9 Abby, Harvey said he and Lexi have fully adjusted to their new surroundings and are looking forward to many more years.
“Here at the airport, with all the employees and regulars, everybody looks for her. When we come into work, everybody is asking, ‘where’s Abby? Where’s Lexi?” Harvey said. “They’re excited to see them – they’re kind of the airport celebrities.”
However, from his experience in partnering with German shepherds in the Narcotics Division of the county’s Sheriff’s Department, Harvey said learning to work with a retriever came with its initial bumps and small readjustments.
“German shepherds are more disciplined. They want and like to be commanded, and they’re more serious – especially when they’re working,” he said. “They are very focused, and labs are just goofy and fun. So, it’s two very different approaches when you’re working with them.”
While strong willed shepherds respond well to a firm and commanding handler, Harvey said labs need to be treated and spoken to with patience and kindness.
“With shepherds you might have to be a little tougher on them to instill the idea that you’re in charge, whereas the labs, as a general rule, you have to be a lot softer with them,” he said. “You have to kind of treat them with kid gloves and everything is happy-go-lucky.”
Playing her own daily version of geocaching or scavenger hunting, Harvey described Lexi’s constant searching and sniffing as an exciting game that motivates her to always stay on top of what comes in and out of the airport.
“It’s my job to keep it interesting for her. So I mix up the training and the locations of where we train, and we try not to make it monotonous,” said Harvey.
Over the past year, Harvey said Lexi has learned to find a balance between work, play and when she can relax, while still managing to keep her sweet disposition and funny personality. Characterized by her constant twirling around the airport, Harvey said it can sometimes be a love-hate relationship to quell her quirks while working.
“She spins around me all the time – that has not stopped at all. When she gets excited, she spins, and after 10 hours of walking around with her … well you get used to working around it,” Harvey said as he stifled a laugh. “It’s just a quirk of hers, but it doesn’t affect her job performance at all, so I let her have at it.”
Overcoming their first “hectic” Master’s week and the ebbs and flows of airport traffic, Harvey said one of his favorite work tasks is visiting local schools on outreach days.
“I love it – especially now that I have a son of my own and another one on the way,” he said. “Outreach was already something I was used to, but I never really knew how to interact or talk to kids til I had my own. Now that I do have my own, I enjoy it so much more.”
Mastering the public relations with adults and children, Harvey’s next challenge will be taking over the airport’s K-9 Division as Harvey’s colleague, Boettcher, passes the baton and transitions into eventual retirement. One of Harvey’s initial tasks will include training another K9 handler and helping him or her learn the ropes of the airport.
“It’s exciting and I want to make sure I do a great job for him and the Marshal’s Office,” said Harvey. “I definitely want to stay here for as long as possible.”
