Yellow police tape surrounded a table that held a half-eaten layer cake. Numbered evidence markers drew attention to the crumbs left behind. And, not far from the scene of the crime, the tails of five uniformed police dogs wagged happily.
The scene, recreated from the newly unveiled children’s book entitled, “The Case of the Missing Cake,” was the setting for a celebration of the story’s creators, sponsors and main characters at Smoky Hill Library in Centennial on Tuesday evening.
Arapahoe County Sheriff Tyler Brown came down, to boast about the book’s authors – two deputies.
“The entire team is always thinking of something new to do,” Brown said of his school resource officers. “And this book is just that next iteration in how we provide a better service to our student population and to the citizens of Arapahoe County.”
SRO Deputies Adam Nardi and John Gray wrote the book, which features the department’s five therapy dogs, to help children develop their emotional intelligence and inspire their love of reading.
“It teaches a lesson in empathy,” Nardi told the Centennial Citizen. “We just want kids to be more aware of how they’re feeling and how other people are feeling.”
The school resource officer’s K-9 program was started about three years ago with Rex, the labrador who is partnered with Gray. Since then, Zeke, Riley, Otis and Bear have joined the force. Each dog is paired with a school resource officer and assigned to a specific school.
All of the therapy dogs are trained for a secondary purpose as well. Zeke has been taught to detect electronics while the others can locate guns and explosives, if needed. But showing up each day for students is their main job.
Their presence isn’t only for kids in crisis but also for students experiencing the everyday ups-and-down of school, SRO deputy Travis Jones said. Even a quick interaction in the hall with one of the therapy dogs can make a student’s day better.
Regarding the book his fellow officers wrote, Jones thinks it just might nudge reluctant readers toward a love of literature.
“They’re gonna be more invested in these books because it’s people they know, it’s animals they know,” he said. “This isn’t some made-up character that they’ve never met. These are dogs that they’re used to seeing every day.”
The 27-page storybook comes to life with colorful illustrations done by Gray and his sister-in-law, Jewell Nichols. But getting the book written and illustrated was just the beginning, Gray said to the small crowd gathered in a meeting room of the library.
Raising the $38,000 it took to get 3,000 copies of the book printed was its own task. In the end, 13 local organizations and small businesses contributed to the project.
The City of Centennial, for example, gave a $10,000 Broncos Youth Activity grant to the endeavor. CoBank, Littleton Public Schools, Fit Republic Southlands, Arapahoe Libraries, Sound Relief, The Pet PT, Back the Blue K-9 Force, FOP Arapahoe Lodge 31, Alameda East Veterinary Hospital, Doggie Delights, Scenthound and the Rotary Club of Centennial also provided assistance.
A copy of the mystery tale, signed by the authors and illustrators, and stamped with the paw print of each dog, was formally presented to the sponsors at the event on Tuesday.
Arapahoe Libraries will have copies of the book available for check out, according to Ginger Delgado, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office.
In addition, the book is available for purchase by students at all of the elementary schools in the sheriff’s office’s jurisdiction including Littleton Public Schools, Cherry Creek School District and Byers/Deer Trail School Districts. Priced at $20, the entire sale amount will go to Back the Blue K-9 Force, a Centennial-based nonprofit that provides financial support to K-9 units.
“The Case of the Missing Cake” is the first in a series of books Gray and Nardi have planned about the department’s dogs, Gray announced at the event. This first installment is aimed at kindergarten through third-grade students. Future books will target different elementary school-age groups.