Press release from: Clackamas Co. Sheriff's Office

Assembly featuring K-9 comic-book star, 'Safety Street' set for Feb. 17 at Bilquist Elementary

'Mik & Nero' crime-prevention comics headed to Clackamas County Libraries

Posted: Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2011

'Mik & Nero' comic- and activity-book covers: [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 5 ]

VIDEO: Clackamas County Commissioners recognize 'Mik & Nero' (Sheriff's Office YouTube channel)

MILWAUKIE -- During a special assembly on Thursday, Feb. 17, students at Bilquist Elementary will learn about K-9 deputies "Mik & Nero" -- who teach kids about road safety, saying "no" to abuse, and the dangers of drugs and drinking and driving.

The dogs are cartoon characters -- based on real Sheriff's Office canine deputies Mik and Nero -- and they appear in five action-packed crime-prevention comic and activity books.

The free "Mik & Nero" comics are also headed to libraries in Clackamas County. Canby, Estacada, Gladstone, Hoodland, Lake Oswego, Milwaukie, Molalla, Oregon City, Sandy, West Linn Wilsonville, Oak Grove and Clackamas Corner libraries are delighted to make the comics and activity books available to parents and children.

ABOUT THE ASSEMBLY:

The media is invited to attend the all-school assembly, set for 1:50 to 2:20 p.m. at Bilquist Elementary (15708 SE Webster Road, Milwaukie, OR 97267). The assembly is scheduled to include the following:

• An appearance by Clackamas County Sheriff Craig Roberts; Sheriff's Office K9 "Nero" and his handler, Deputy Bradley O'Neil; and K9 "Wodon" and his handler, Sgt. Paul Coleman.
  
  
• A K9 demonstration -- including finding a hidden person.
  
  
• Free issues of "Mik & Nero" for the assembled students.
  
  
• A demonstration of "Safety Street" -- Clackamas Safe Communities' hugely popular pedal-car driving course for kids 8 years and under. One of the "Mik & Nero" comics, "Safety Street!," is based on this popular fixture at the Clackamas County Fair.

Sgt. Coleman, Deputy O'Neil and their dogs, Nero and Wodon, will be available for interviews after the assembly.

High-rez images from "Mik & Nero" comics and activity books are linked above.

THE 'MIK & NERO' COMICS:

• Issue #1, "Mik & Nero in 'Methed Up!'" [ PDF ] is aimed at readers ages 9-12. It tells the story of two talking K-9 unit dogs -- Mik and Nero -- taking part in a SWAT raid on a trailer full of meth-addicted thieves who are stealing metal and mail. After an action-packed opening, the two dogs find themselves in hot pursuit of one of the criminals. It gives the dogs a chance to talk about the bad decisions that led the perp to his sorry plight.

• Issue #2, "Safety Street!" [ PDF ] is aimed at slightly younger readers. Based on an actual educational attraction for kids, it tells the story of a young boy at a fair who sees a sign for something called "Safety Street" with an irresistible sales pitch: "Hey, kids! Drive cars & learn!" The boy is ushered to a (possibly magical) pedal-car -- and Mik and Nero give him a guided tour as he rides up to various signs and intersections, learning about road, bike and pedestrian safety.

• Issue #3, "Teen Drinking: The Hardest Lesson" [ PDF ] is a powerful look at the consequences of underage drinking and driving -- told through the eyes of a middle-schooler who watches his older brother's life self-destruct.

• Activity Book #1, "The Bubble Book" [ PDF ] is a coloring book that helps responsible adults teach children that each of us has a personal space "bubble" that helps keep us safe. The dogs help children learn that their personal space, and their bodies, belong to them -- and what they should do if someone violates their safe "bubble."

• Activity Book #2, "The Safety Street! Coloring and Activity Book" [ PDF ] is a companion piece to the "Safety Street!" comic -- featuring puzzles, mazes and even a board game to reinforce lessons about road, bicycle and pedestrian safety.

"Teaching Moment" pages at the end of each issue give readers online links for even more safety info. The library will take 1,000 copies of each book to distribute.

Meet the real Mik and Nero

The real Mik and Nero have enjoyed real-life exploits worthy of their cartoon adventures.

Nero is a four-year-old Shepherd/Malanois mix. He was born in March 2005 and raised in the Czech Republic. The Sheriff's Office purchased Nero from Adlerhorst International in Riverside, CA in November 2006, when the dog was only 18 months old.

Mik and Nero went through the same basic 240-hour K9 training course together in the winter of 2007.  After graduation, Nero was assigned to work the swing shift with Deputy Bradley O'Neil.  Nero can't wait to go to work each night, and prefers working in the dark. When Nero is on patrol, he tracks suspects who run from crime scenes and finds articles suspects try to hide while fleeing. When Nero is relaxing off-duty, he loves to play with a weighted exercise ball in the backyard of his Clackamas home.

Mik was a Belgian Malanois, born in April 2003. He passed away from a medical complication in 2010. He was raised as a sporting dog in Holland, and was chosen and purchased by the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office in November 2006.

"We can't think of a better way to honor Mik's service than by letting him live on in these comics," said Clackamas County Sheriff Craig Roberts.

A features-packed Web page

On the "Mik & Nero" webcomic page ( http://www.clackamas.us/sheriff/kids ), readers can download low-rez versions of the comics and activity books as PDFs.

Links on the sides of the Web page allow kids to learn more about the real Mik and Nero, find links to drug resources, and look at concept art from the comic. There's even a link if the kids want to send the dogs fan mail.

More comics are currently in the works. Anyone interested in ordering a print run of any of the "Mik & Nero" books can e-mail Patrick Sherman via e-mail for details.

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You can find print issues of "Mik and Nero" at the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office Public Safety Training Center. For more information, visit the official "Mik & Nero" Web site at www.clackamas.us/sheriff/kids.