Page 6 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2020 FORMER | FROM PAGE 3 lover boy. I had him for 11 years, but he only worked as a K9 for four years. I was paying for the food, vets and the training. He was taken out for budget reasons. But, I tell you, it’s a beautiful relationship that can develop between an offi cer and a dog – they protect you. They protect the public. And they go after the bad guy. Offi cer Peter Cicolini, who worked for the Saugus Police Department for 40 years, retired in 2004. He handled K9 King. Q: Tell me your favorite King story. A: No matter where you went, the dog could be like a house pet. But you wouldn’t want him as your enemy. They track down a little girl and lick her in the face, but God help the criminal. As long as you weren’t one of the bad guys, he could be friendly. He could go into a bank and he’d jump up on the teller’s window for a treat. They’d hand it through the window for me to give him. Q: Any special moment you can remember? A: In the days of Vietnam, I would be assigned to the Sau“ONE OF MY BEST PARTNERS”: Andrew Evlog and K-9 Huntz. gus Commons. I can remember taking the dog down there to disperse the crowd. I wasn’t proud of that, but it’s something that I remember – going down to the corner of Winter and Central Streets. Lt. Anthony LoPresti worked for four years as a K9 offi cer for the MBTA police before transferring to the Saugus Police Department in 2000, where he reactivated the department’s K9 unit. He worked for about nine years as the handler for K9 Gaston while a A DOZEN CAPTURES: Then Sgt. Anthony LoPresti and K-9 Gaston. Banking with a hometown touch. Open a free checking account with no monthly fees, and get access to Mobile Banking, Bill Pay and other features. Because no matter where you go, we’re right by you. Call or visit us to sign up. 419 BROADWAY, EVERETT MA 02149 61 7-38 7 - 1 1 10 7 7 1 SALEM ST, LYNNFIELD, MA 01940 781-7 76- 4444 WWW.EVERET TBANK . COM DOG WITH “A GIANT HEART”: Tim Fawcett and K-9 Benny. patrolman and sergeant. Q: What do you remember about Gaston? A: He was extremely good at patrol work. He was also drugtrained, but patrol work was his forte. He had about a dozen captures in various locations. Q: What’s your favorite Gaston memory? A: There was an armed robRight by you. Member FDIC Member DIF bery at Walgreens. He tracked down the guy and retrieved $65,000 worth of narcotics. He was a very good police dog – but all business – he wasn’t very friendly. He wasn’t very social; no one could get near him. Officer Timothy Fawcett served on the Saugus Police Department for more than 31 years – his fi nal 18 years as the K-9 offi cer. He handled K9 Beny (2001-11) and K9 Bruin (2011-19) during that time. Q: Do you have a favorite Beny story? A: I knew from the moment I picked him “he had a giant heart.” He was more than a dual-purpose K9, meaning patrol/narcotics. He had a third purpose of being social. Q: What’s your favorite Bruin memory? A: I’d probably say the day that I chose him out of six othFORMER | SEE PAGE 7
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