A Profile of Courage: The Chicago Police Department's Animal Crimes Unit

by Alexis Fasseas | Nov 01, 2008

Long before Michael Vick launched dog fighting to high profile status, creating national awareness on the obscene cruelty of the blood sport virtually over night, the Chicago Police Department had taken steps to fight animal cruelty. Operating independently for several years, the Animal Abuse Control Unit was called in if animals were discovered during an operation. In August of 2006, the team was re-formed as the Animal Crimes Unit under Sergeant Brian Degenhardt. Through the hard work of the involved officers, the team’s abilities as an effective crime-fighting team were increased, working in tandem with other units to get felons, guns, and drugs off the street.

At first, Degenhardt was uncertain about the prospects of the Unit. Coming from the Hostage Barricade Team, he was unaccustomed to dealing with a small, undeveloped unit and he had no experience with animal-related crimes. But as a dedicated officer committed to doing whatever it took to fight crime and criminals in Chicago, he accepted the challenge and immediately began exploring his options. 

Without any exposure to animal issues and without any guidance or expertise from predecessors, Degenhardt started with the basics: “I had to find out what an animal crimes offender was, so I pulled the criminal history of everyone arrested for an animal crime between 2001 and 2004, the only data that was available.” From the information compiled, he developed a profile of an animal crimes offender: narcotics dealer, narcotics user, gang member, generally convicted of other crimes such as domestic violence and child abuse, and 30% of the time caught with possession of a handgun used in other felonies. With the profile in hand, one month after assuming leadership, he was able to present a proposal to the Superintendent, showing how his team, if changed to the “Animal Crimes Unit”, could be effective at combating human violence as well. He was authorized to proceed. 

Establishing the Unit’s credibility was no easy task; the new Animal Crimes Unit (ACU) had to prove that they could help reduce crime and get violent offenders behind bars.

 

In the next seven months, the ACU began targeting the dangerous criminals who were also likely to be involved in animal crimes. The Animal Crimes Unit began to show that they could effectively reach criminals that other units could not by pursuing the animal angle of the case. For example, Tommy X*, the Inca (leader) of the “26ers”, a subgroup of the Latin Kings, was highlighted as the number one target on the Department’s weekly bulletin because of his involvement with recent shootings. The Animal Crimes Unit was able to obtain a search warrant because of the condition of his Pit Bulls. The ACU was able to see the dogs were kept on short chains for countless hours each day and throughout the night. One dog did not have water. Another emaciated dog was starving to death. Barking inside alerted the Unit that there were also dogs inside the home. After obtaining the search warrant, they found two pounds of marijuana and ten dogs in total. Tommy was charged with 10 counts of felony dog fighting and possession of narcotics with the intent to deliver. They were able to take away the dogs and the Unit called the Building Department and Health Inspectors, who condemned the house. Thanks to the hard work of the Animal Crimes Unit, the gang leader was off the streets and they interrupted the cycle of violence by permanently removing him from the neighborhood. 

In total their hard work in only eight months resulted in the execution of 19 search warrants, more than 70 arrests, and the recovery of more than 250 dogs. Over time, and thanks to the hardworking officers who made up the team, the ACU gained credibility and respect throughout the police department.

Unfortunately, Brian became sick, contracting the Coxsackie B virus. Eleven months later, defeating all odds after committing himself to intensive rehabilitation and receiving support from dedicated family, friends and coworkers, Brian Degenhardt returned to the Department. 

Recognizing the importance of animal crimes to the Police Department’s efforts against gangs, guns and drugs, Superintendent Jody P. Weis transferred the Animal Crimes Unit to the Gang Investigations section of the Organized Crime Division in August 2008. At the same time, he placed Brian Degenhardt back in the Animal Crimes Unit. 

In its new location, and under the direction of Commander Leo Schmitz, the Animal Crimes Unit executed its first search warrant the very next day, after Sergeant Degenhardt received information from a People’s Gas employee who had gone into the basement of a home and witnessed dogs in rancid condition. One female Pit Bull was near death. “They hadn’t been feeding her and she was breast feeding her six puppies,” Degenhardt recalls. “Without nutrition she was withering away. And both of the male Pit Bulls showed scarring around their muzzle, ears, front legs, and neck—indicative of dog fighting.” The team also recovered a handgun. “Our gang crimes unit has found that tracking a dog fighting ring in the city is no different than tracking down a dangerous gang member because dangerous dogs are like dangerous weapons,” said Commander Leo Schmitz of the Organized Crime Division. “Animal fighting has surfaced as a nationwide crime problem and the Chicago Police Department is taking aggressive steps in dismantling this criminal enterprise,” he added.

 

In the two months since the Animal Crimes Unit was reconstituted, the team has executed nine search warrants, resulting in the arrest of nine criminals, the rescue of 57 dogs and confiscation of 25 grams of crack cocaine, seven handguns, three rifles, a box of .22 caliber magnum round hollow-point ammunition that pierces body armor, and dog fighting paraphernalia. 

But this is only the beginning for the unit. Superintendent Jody Weis has recognized the realigned unit as a major component in the Department’s crime fighting strategies. “By taking the necessary steps to reinvigorate the Animal Crimes Unit, I believe the department has taken a positive step to attack the problem of gangs, guns, and drugs, that plague many of today’s cities,” Weis stressed. “While it is sad and cruel that many gang members use these helpless animals to pursue and satisfy their blood lust, this activity does allow law enforcement another option to combat this threat to our way of life.” 

With the new Superintendent, Jody Weis, committed to developing a state-of-the-art Animal Crimes Unit, Chicago will be a much safer place.