MIAMI _ In late November, a beloved member of the El Portal police department was removed from duty without official explanation, causing an uproar among the village's 2,400 residents who knew the police rookie only as "Arctic."
A 3-year-old Siberian Husky, with a face that melts hearts and a bark that sounds like a human talking, Arctic has been famous since he was officially sworn in to the police department on July 25, 2017. The tiny town of animal lovers immediately adored him, and his Facebook page quickly gained over 1,000 followers who wanted updates on his daily activities.
Now, residents say Arctic is collateral damage in a vicious political feud between a heavy-handed mayor/manager duo and Arctic's handler, the former police chief. It's a saga of palace intrigue replete with half-truths, vendettas and a seemingly benign incident resulting in Homeland Security's knocking on the door of an outspoken village resident.
Before his handler was told not to bring Arctic back to work _ the police dog equivalent of being fired with no warning _ Arctic was part of a community policing effort and outreach program in El Portal. Rather than barking, biting, or sniffing, Arctic's role was more therapeutic. One of his favorite assignments: hanging out with the kids at a local middle school and taking selfies with them.
They didn't even get to say goodbye before his service was terminated.
"I think it's kinda sad because the kids had started to build that relationship with Arctic," said Kevin Lawrence, principal of Horace Mann Middle School. He said having Arctic around helped the children begin to build healthy, trusting relationships with police officers, and would be a major loss for the students.
In response to questions about the basis for Arctic's abrupt dismissal, Village Manager Christia Alou told the Miami Herald that Arctic's job with the police department never officially existed. His swearing in ceremony nothing more than a "feel good thing" for the residents, she said.
Emails obtained by the Herald contradict the manager's account. They document the implementation an official community police dog program, established by the police department and approved by the former village manager, David Rosemond, in 2017. Arctic was even added to the police department's insurance policy and went through rigorous training paid for by the village before he was sworn in by the mayor, who frequently touted the K9 program.
"It was a great asset to the community of El Portal. It was a shining star to the program," said Steadman Stahl, president of the Police Benevolent Association, the police union in Miami-Dade County. Stahl said he didn't think the apparent disillusion of the K9 program had anything to do with Arctic's performance. "I believe the manager and mayor had more of a problem with the handler than the dog," Stahl said.
Arctic's handler, Ronnie Hufnagel, was a 20-year-veteran of the village police department and served acting chief for just over a year between 2017 and 2018.
