S.C. Police Dept. Mourns Bloodhound's Death

Oct. 02--The Florence Police Department lost a small but most vital officer over the weekend.

Tracker, the department's 9-year-old bloodhound, died unexpectedly Saturday at his handler Sgt. Danny Camlin's home.

"I got home from work Saturday morning and he was sleeping fine. My daughter went out there just before noon and he was in his dog house, sleeping fine. I found him about 2 p.m.," Camlin said.

Camlin said Tracker was aging and had some hip problems but otherwise seemed healthy.

"He was moving a little slower but he was good," Camlin said, adding that most dogs in Tracker's line of work live of average of about 10 years.

"He still loved to go to work, and he was good at what he did. He was responsible for catching quite a few people over the years -- from bad guys to lost children," Camlin said. "But he was more than a police dog. I've got three daughters, and he grew up with them. I got him when he was just 6 weeks old. He was part of the family."

Tracker was also a vital part of the Florence Police Department, an officer just like any other, Florence Police Chief Anson Shells said.

Tracker was vital in helping locate suspects in many big crimes from bank robberies to break-ins, Shells said. Bloodhounds track scents, but they do not apprehend or detain suspects like their fellow K-9 officers.

"They're very well-trained. They train all the time, even when they're not tracking suspects," Shells said. "We don't just pick any dog and say, 'Hey, this is going to be a police dog.' They come by recommendation, and we spend a lot of time and money to train them to do their jobs. These bloodhounds are members of the department, and they're just as valuable as any other officer."

Tracker was special to the community, as well, Shells said, because the students of Briggs Elementary School named him.

"The police department did a contest to see who could come up with the best name, and one of the classes came up with 'Tracker,'" Shells said.

Although the department has some other K-9 officers, Tracker was its only bloodhound. Shells said eventually the department would like to get another, but there's no rush.

"Tracker was a real part of the police department family, and it's going to take us a little while to deal with his death," Shells said. "He was a good officer. We're going to miss him dearly."