Asheville Police Department K9 Nero, who helped to track and apprehend criminals, as well as to bring Alzheimerís patients and children back home to their families, died this past Saturday after a long illness.

Nero, who had worked with his partner Acting Lt. Joe Johnson since 1997, came to the APD when he was about three years old.

Johnson said Nero ìwas probably the best man-tracking dog in the state,î with the highest K9 success statistics for locating suspects.

Among Neroís most notable achievements are the tracking of Dr. Vince Gilmer of Fletcher, who had a first-degree murder warrant for the strangulation and mutilation of his father, Dalton Gilmer.
In that case, Nero made an incredible track through a river and marsh, locating the suspect, the APD noted.

In another case, Nero tracked a kidnap/armed-robbery suspect from the Citgo on Broadway directly to a specific unit in the Woodcroft Apartments.

Johnson noted that Nero was also keen in narcotics cases, once locating a hidden compartment in a Dodge Durango that contained five kilos of heroin.

ìI am very proud of him, and his accomplishments,î Johnson said. ìNero and I didnít always see eye to eye, but he has been the best working dog I have had.

ìI will miss him.î

The city police K-9 Unit is composed of five teams of dogs, all of which are Belgian Malinois. Commands given to the dogs are in Dutch.

Both the dog and handler must successfully attend and pass a six-week patrol dog-handler course.
The K9 Unit supports the patrol division in the areas of narcotics detection, article/evidence searches, tracking, building searches and officer protection.

The K9 Unit conducts numerous training demonstrations annually for local civic groups, schools and special events.

Lt. Wallace Welch, the departmentís K9 unit leader, said a new dog has already been ordered to replace Nero. The new dog and its training cost the department $13,000, he noted.