Ed. Note: The following content was provided by All American Bail Bonds who is a client of KHTS AM-1220.
On the first and third Thursdays of every month, KHTS AM 1220 and All American Bail Bonds in Santa Clarita host the show “Neighborhood Watch.”
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KHTS AM 1220 News Director Perry Smith and Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station Deputy Josh Dubin talk about local Sheriff’s news and bring in special guests to interview.
On Dec. 4, Smith and Dubin brought in K9 Unit Deputy Amy Raniag and her dog Sstack to interview.
Here is the transcription of the Q & A from Part 1 of the Dec. 4 “Neighborhood Watch” sponsored by All American Bail Bonds in Santa Clarita:
Perry Smith: Welcome back Santa Clarita Valley. We’re back on your Home Town Station KHTS where twice a month we talk to our friends in the Santa Clarita Sheriff’s Station and today we have a special guest form the greater Sheriff’s Department, a little bit broader, wider. I’m struggling already. It’s early, Josh. You know that’s what happens when you let me go loose like that, I trail off.
Josh Dubin: Let’s talk about a few things first. You didn’t shave today.
Perry Smith: No, you know, No Shave November got carried over into the first week of December.
Josh Dubin: We’re past Black Friday and Cyber Monday and you didn’t shave.
Perry Smith: Did you have a good Thanksgiving? That’s what all of our listeners want to know.
Josh Dubin: I worked.
Amy Raniag: I have proof that he worked.
Perry Smith: We’re you working too Amy?
Amy Raniag: No, I was off.
Perry Smith: And just to let our listeners know, we always have Deputy Josh Dubin in the studio, he hangs around.
Josh Dubin: Now I’m just hanging around.
Perry Smith: I found him on Camp Plenty Road and told him to come on by.
Amy Raniag: Holding a sign “Will work for food.”
Josh Dubin: Will do radio for food.
Perry Smith: And now with us today, we have a special K9 Unit Officer–Deputy. What is the title for K9 units? You work as a team, as a pair right?
Amy Raniag: Correct. I’m an Explosive Detection K9 Handler with our Transit Policing Division.
Perry Smith: And Amy Raniag? (Checking the name pronunciation)
Amy Raniag: Correct.
Perry Smith: I nailed it. For the win. We’re gonna be talking about your experience with the Sheriff’s Department. We’re going to talk a little bit about the toy drive going on right now and let everybody know about that, Gosh, so much going on.
Josh Dubin: We have a lot to talk about. Rain, we could talk about Paul Walker memorial that took place this past Sunday, rain and driving safety, toy drive. We have a lot of K9 stuff to talk about.
Perry Smith: The city’s violent crime numbers are down, somebody told me about that. Somebody put out a news release. Was that you guys?
Josh Dubin: Was that a shameless plug?
Perry Smith: It might be on hometownstation.com.
Josh Dubin: That was a shameless plug.
Perry Smith: Okay, okay but you know, sometimes you gotta do that. Sometimes you gotta do a little self promotion.
Josh Dubin: Hey, I totally understand.
Perry Smith: Especially Sstack here, I’m trying to impress him.
Josh Dubin: We have you, we have a K9 Officer in studio.
Perry Smith: Technically, we have two K9 Officers in studio.
Amy Raniag: Absolutely, Sstack.
Josh Dubin: Pardon, and we have Kyle Jellings running the board.
Perry Smith: Thats basically, thats’ whats happening right now. So we’re going to talk about all those things. Amy, yeah, tell me a little bit about your background with the Sheriff’s Department. You said you focus on bomb detection?
Amy Raniag: Yeah thats correct. I’ve been on, it’ll be 16 years in February and I’ll be hitting five years as a K9 Handler January 4. Basically we are a visible deterrent along the Metro line. Excuse Sstack here.
Perry Smith: Sstack is so excited, he is like the biggest fan of KHTS ever.
Amy Raniag: He is amped up. That’s what you get when you’re on vacation for a whole week and come in back to work.
Perry Smith: This is what Kyle comes in as on Monday. Running around, bouncing around. wanting to play with everybody, sit on everybody’s lap. That’s how he is.
Amy Raniag: Yeah..
Perry Smith: Too far?
Josh Dubin: No, keep going you’re doing great. You didn’t even shave today. It’s fine.
Perry Smith: The shaving thing. I don’t see why you have such a problem with that. Just because your clean shaven…
Josh Dubin: I shaved today.
Amy Raniag: He’s just jealous it’s against our policy to have such a nice looking beard.
Josh Dubin: Oh boy.
Perry Smith: And here’s the real issue, Amy. I’ve been getting on him about not having a cop mustache for two years now. I mean, we’ve been doing the show for a full year but ever since I’m just like…
Josh Dubin: I’m approaching 10 years on the Sheriff’s Department. You can’t even talk about a mustache until you’re at least 15 years on.
Amy Raniag: And it’s so 1980s, so 1980s.
Perry Smith: Now, is that in the regulation Sheriff’s Department handbook? Like there’s a certain time after the decade mark that you must have a mustache. Are you coming up on that? Are you worried?
Josh Dubin: I was born in the ‘80s sir.
Amy Raniag: Oh boy.
Perry Smith: Okay.
Josh Dubin: Thank you.
Perry Smith: We’ll just leave it at that, I guess. That had something to do with what we were talking about? You were born in the ‘80s. So, what does that have to do with a mustache? Does that make you anti-mustache?
Josh Dubin: No, I was just sending that out there. That’s all.
Perry Smith: Alright.
Amy Raniag: So, back to Sstack.
Perry Smith: Back to Sstack and Amy.
Amy Raniag: So, I’ve been a K9 Handler for, it’ll be five years in January. Sstack is my second dog. I’ve been with him, it’ll be two years in March.
Perry Smith: Did you always, you said you were in other units of the Sheriff’s Deparmtent first. My understanding is that generally you start in a correctional facility.
Amy Raniag: Correct, I worked here locally in Wayside Pitchess Detention Center. And then from there I left and did my work at Compton Station. I was there for four years.
Perry Smith: You live up here?
Amy Raniag: Yes, I’m a community member.
Perry Smith: That must have been a great commute to Compton.
Amy Raniag: That was a great commute, it really was. And then from Compton Station I left and went to our department’s Training Bureau where I was a tactics and weapons instructor for four years and then I left there.
Perry Smith: So, what does a tactics, weapons and training officer do? I image you help implement training?
Amy Raniag: Yes, absolutely. Every patrol station officer, every two years, they are mandated by the state of California to stay current on their police training and tactics, so we provide that training for the department as well as firearms training, assist with firearms staff when they’re inundated with academy classes other specialized classes.
Perry Smith: Just making sure you’re brushing up on the skills.
Amy Raniag: Absolutely.
Perry Smith: And I would image laws change over time so you have to keep up with that.
Amy Raniag: Yes, yes, thank you for that kiss Sstack, you are just crazy.
Perry Smith: He’s so affectionate.
Amy Raniag: He is. He really is.
Perry Smith: How old is Sstack?
Amy Raniag: Sstack just turned five, he just had a birthday.
Perry Smith: Well we have a whole lot to talk about. We have a question form a listener that we’re going to get to later on in the hour, we have a toy drive to talk about. I want to talk a little more about the Transportation Policing Division.
Amy Raniag: Absolutely.
Perry Smith: Yes, nailed the name. We’ll be right back after this commercial break on “Neighborhood Watch,” brought to you by All American Bail Bonds in Santa Clarita on your Home Town Station.
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