Durango Police Department’s newest police officer has arrived in town and is ready for duty. Her name is Betty and she is 1 year old.
She’s also a dog. To be exact, she’s a Belgian Malinois.
“Canines are a wonderful tool inside law-enforcement work,” Cmdr. Jacob Dunlop said. “Canines are just another option to allow us to do different things.”
The department purchased Betty from Rocky Mountain Canine in Denver. Her handler, Officer Justin Moore, trained with Betty in Denver alongside other law enforcement officers for seven weeks. She will begin patrol June 8.
Betty was trained for three functions: patrol, tracking and drug-sniffing. The department plans to use her to help capture aggressive suspects, track scents through fields or yards and, most importantly, sniff out drugs and illegal narcotics. She isn’t trained to smell marijuana.
“Primarily, what we’re looking for is drug interdiction,” Dunlop said. “If Betty is available, we’ll bring her out to do some sniffs.”
Frequent training is important to build a bond between the dog and the handler, “just like you’re working with any other partner that you need to trust with your life,” Dunlop said.
The Durango Police Department hasn’t had a canine since Uto, a German shepherd, who retired two years ago.
The department spent $12,000 on Betty and her training. The department doesn’t dedicate funds through its general operating expenses but received an anonymous donation two years ago to kick-start the canine program, Dunlop said.
Betty will live with Moore, who is compensated as a K-9 handler. Betty will join Moore on his normal shift, which will typically occur in the afternoons and evenings, Dunlop said.
“She will be with him most of the time while he’s on duty,” Dunlop said.
asemadeni@durangoherald.com
This story has been updated to correct Cmdr. Jacob Dunlop’s name.
