Not everyone is knowledgeable about the day-to-day challenges of local enforcers and their K9 associates when they go out in the real world. Not many comprehend what it takes for law enforcers and their K9s to work together efficiently to prevent untoward incidents from taking place. Author Nami Oneda sheds light on the real life of law enforcers and K9 through her book, Dog Teams: Of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department K9 Section.
A lot of books on law enforcement and K9s are either written by law enforcers themselves or dog handlers. Mostly, the jargon in these books involved cop lingo, making it challenging for civilian readers to understand and stay engaged in the reading material. Nami Oneda, however, wrote her book from the perspective of a civilian and addressed it to civilians like her who want to have a better appreciation of the kind of sacrifice that many law enforcers do to be effective in their everyday tasks.
Through Dog Teams, Nami Oneda hopes to be a voice to many law enforcers, especially when they are bombarded by negative criticism from civilians. Nami believes that now is the time to rise up and be the voice of law enforcement who put in so much work to guarantee peace and order in every community.
“I was always an avid supporter of our law enforcement community. Having spent most of my life in New York City and personally witnessing officers getting injured and shot in the line of duty, I was profoundly inspired by the heroism – they are willing to sacrifice their lives for the betterment of our community. After the tragedies of 9/11 and October 1, I knew that I needed to do more than just support them behind the scenes – I needed to publicly be their advocate,” Nami explains.
A daughter of Japanese immigrants, Nami Oneda has had the privilege of living in several parts of the country. She finished a bachelor of arts in anthropology from New York University. She was formerly a ballet dancer and fitness instructor. At present, she resides in Las Vegas, Nevada, together with her Labrador named Kona.
In 2018, Nami Oneda launched her passion project, The Gratitude Project, a non-profit organization that recognizes the hard work that law enforcers do to protect the community. It also assists with shipping K9 dogs to police offices that may have a need for them. Through the organization, Nami also raises funds to support law enforcers, veterans, first responders, and K9 units. By giving them honor and recognition for their hard work, Nami knows that she is doing them a well-deserved service.
Through The Gratitude Project, Nami Oneda hopes to educate more people about the hard work that law enforcers deliver so that people will enjoy safety. She also wants to emphasize that a lot of police officers wear their badges with dignity despite the many controversies that have been haunting their image. Nami also wants law enforcers to know that there are people like her who still believe in the integrity of the police force.
Nami Oneda looks forward to one day seeing a community that does not discriminate, a community that seeks the truth first, and one that challenges many misconceptions about the people in law enforcement agencies. By humanizing law enforcers, she is helping them protect their image and will continue to advocate that gratitude is best expressed through action.
Learn more about Nami Oneda and her advocacies by visiting this website.
