As of April 1, 2025, My Huntley News is no longer publishing new content but remains active for archival use. For those of you with active subscriptions, a prorated reimbursement will be sent to you no later than May 1, 2025. Refunds will be issued to the name and address listed on your subscription. My Huntley News thanks you for your support and readership, and we welcome you to visit White Silo Media's primary publication, My Sun Day News.
Subscribe Subscriber Login Staff/Contact Advertise Submissions Jobs

 

MY HUNTLEY NEWS

THE DOORWAY TO OUR COMMUNITY
 
News Features Sports A&E Columns Hang Your Hat Obituaries Sun City

August 8, 2023

McHenry County Sheriff's Office K-9 handler John Wisniewski plays with Kylo, a German Shepherd, at the Lake in the Hills Police Department's National Night Out Community Cookout Aug. 5.
Steve Peterson
McHenry County Sheriff’s Office K-9 handler John Wisniewski plays with Kylo, a German Shepherd, at the Lake in the Hills Police Department’s National Night Out Community Cookout Aug. 5.

Features • August 8, 2023

Sheriff’s K-9 unit gives demonstration

By

LAKE IN THE HILLS — The McHenry County Sheriff’s K-9 unit gave a presentation on details of their duties at Lake in the Hills Police Department’s National Night Out Community Cookout Aug. 5.

Attendees gathered around as Deputy John Wisniewski, K-9 officer Kylo and Dan Sobelki, of TOPS Dog Training in Grayslake put Kylo through his paces.

“We have three dogs on the force, and Kylo is the youngest,” Wisniewski said. “We use them for tracking, apprehension and area searches. The tracking is probably the most common thing.”

“Our dogs come to us ‘green’,” Wisniewski said.

The MCSD uses only German Shepherds, preferably males, the audience is told. “The German Shepherds can adjust better to the weather,” Sobelki said.

Sobelki instructed Kylo on several skills, such as finding drugs and the mantra, “the harder you ‘fight, the harder he bites,” Sobelki said. All dogs are given obedience training before being in the field.

An important point is that the dogs must not be petted. One exception is the first day when they are assigned with their partners, Sobelki explained. Otherwise, it’s all work for an eight-week course.

The dogs are rewarded for following instructions mostly by a toy they like, Sobelki said.

There was another aspect of dogs, as Poppy the service dog, a Golden Retriever, interacted with folks of all ages. “Summer has been very busy for us,” said handler Sue Fleishman. “Poppy is very laid back.”

“Our National Night Out Community Cookout is a time to gather together as a community to stand strong against crime. We have been participating in NNO for around 30 years and look forward to many years to come,” LITH Police Department Public Information Officer Amanda Schmitt said.

Agencies on hand included the Algonquin-LITH Fire Department and vehicles; LITH Police Department’s youth Explorer Post, open to ages 14-21; LITH Public Works; Algonquin – LITH Public Library and SEECOM of McHenry County.

 

New SRO meets residents

 

Lake in the Hills Police Department’s new School Resource Officer (SRO)enjoyed his chance to meet village residents at the LITH Police Department’s National Night Out Cookout. Sieradzki will be assigned to the Reed Road Campus of Marlowe Middle School, Chesak Elementary of District 158 and D158 Early Childhood Center.

“I want to help maintain a good relationship with the students. I’ll be working on just about everything, from 7:30 a.m.- 3:30 p.m., and it’s a pretty fluid assignment, to ‘bridge the gap,’ he said.

He brings an interesting background to his new duties working with students.

“I was a life guard for four years in high school and gained experience working with different ages,” Sieradzki a family came to the USA from Wroclaw, Poland when he was the age of 16. “I joined the National Guard and a lot of officers suggested it would be a good career for me. I like it because it is something different every day.”

Sieradzki, 28, has been an officer for LITH Police for nine months. The 2023-24 D-158 school year begins Aug. 16 for grades 1-12 and Aug. 17 for Early Childhood Center and Kindergarten students.