The borough council took time out of its meeting Tuesday to give thanks for Point Pleasant Beach’s newest bomb sniffing dog.
At the Aug. 1 borough council meeting, the mayor and council thanked Caesar DePaço, founder and CEO of Summit Nutritionals International and honorary consul of the Portuguese Republic for Florida, for donating Tyson to the borough police department.
“I want to thank [Dr. DePaço] and his lovely wife for this contribution to the police department,” Mayor Stephen Reid said of the black and tan bomb sniffing German shepherd.
“It’s really amazing, not just for out town, but for our residents and people who are visiting, it makes us all feel a lot safer so I wanted to thank you for that.”
Council President William Mayer read a proclamation in honor of Mr. DePaço and his wife, Deanna.
“Point Pleasant Beach is a popular tourist attraction in New Jersey that, seeing thousands of visitors each year, recognizes that the addition of a bomb detection K-9 is an important safety measure for the borough, the boardwalk and other critical infrastructure,” Councilman Mayer read from the proclamation.
“The couple has shown commitment to law enforcement agencies in the United States and throughout the world, making it their life’s mission to provide for K-9 officers and equipment that enhances security for police officers.”
For Mr. DePaço, his passion for police officers comes from his own childhood dream of being a member of a force.
“When I came to the United States back in the 1990s, my goal was to become a police officer,” he said.
“For various reasons, that didn’t happen because I couldn’t become a U.S. citizen because I was involved in politics in Portugal so I couldn’t become a dual citizen.
“This was my way of accomplishing that goal since I am not one of them, at least I can assist them,” Mr. DePaço added.
According to Mr. DePaço, he has been donating bomb detecting dogs to police departments since 2014. Currently 41 dogs have been donated to departments at home and abroad.
One dog could cost anywhere from $8,000 to $15,000.
“The goal is to assist police departments that can not afford to acquire their own K-9s,” Mr. DePaço said.
Mrs. DePaço agreed with her husband.
“It’s very difficult to maintain safety on the streets. The K-9s get into the nooks and crannies and they’re also deterrents against crime,” she said.
Tyson, who is 2 years old, lives with Point Pleasant Beach Police Officer Kyle Boturla and is a graduate of the New Jersey State Police Bomb Detection School.
“We are extremely thankful and appreciative to the DePaço’s for their generous donation of K-9 Tyson, who is a fully trained explosive detection dog,” Chief Joseph Michigan said.
“With this gift, the De- Paço’s have made it possible for residents and visitors to feel a little bit safer knowing that K-9 Tyson is on patrol.”
