WILMINGTON, De. - The Leonard L. Williams Justice Center in Wilmington has a new officer on duty to make the courthouse a more warm and welcoming place. K-9 Officer Vinn has joined the Capitol Police division at the Center as their first “facility” or comfort dog. Vinn was specifically trained to help people cope with anxiety in the courthouse, especially kids and parents.
“The courthouse does not have to be a scary place and we believe the services of Officer Vinn will help make the Justice Center more welcoming, or at least not as stressful, particularly for children involved in court proceedings,” saif Chief Justice Collins J. Seitz, Jr.
Vinn’s placement at the Center was made possible through a pilot dog program created by Delaware Capitol Police Chief Michael F. Hertzfeld. According to the department, they became interested in the idea after the New Castle County Police Department’s success with their own comfort dog program.
“Vinn is a highly trained K-9 that loves interaction with people. He has a natural personality and demeanor that is different from our other working dogs at the courthouse. He is the perfect new addition to our police division for us to achieve our commitment to the citizens of Delaware,” said Chief Hertzfeld.
K-9 Officer Vinn will be available on an appointment and as-needed basis depending on the dog’s availability. He has already helped a number of people in Family Court proceedings but has not yet served in a courtroom trial.
A web page to request Officer Vin’s assistance can be found on the Delaware Judiciary’s homepage at https://courts.delaware.gov/aoc/facilitydog.aspx. Requests made on the page are forwarded to the Delaware Capitol Police, and Officer Vinn’s handler Sr. Cpl. Donna DiClemente.
