The Warsaw Police Department’s K-9 Unit was started in 1989, with the first K-9 being a 22-month-old German Shepherd named Jimmy. The K-9 Unit expanded in 2006, when WPD received a grant from the K-21 Foundation. Today, WPD enlists the help of two highly-trained police K-9’s. These K-9’s have saved lives and apprehended hundreds of perpetrators.
Dax
Dax is a Belgian Malinois who joined the department in April of 2013. He is a dual purpose narcotic K-9, which means he is trained to both track and bite. At 95 lbs, he is WPD’s largest K-9. Dax is handled by Cpl. Phil Reed.
Bubka
WPD’s newest K-9 is an English Cocker Spaniel. He joined the department in June of 2015. He is trained to track both drugs and people, but he is not trained to bite. Instead, his tracking skills are used most when searching for lost children or elderly adults. Bubka is handled by a narcotic detective.
The police K-9s are valuable law enforcement tools and have proven effective in the areas of narcotic detection, apprehension of fleeing criminals, tracking, article searches, and officer/handler protection. The K-9's are on call 24 hours a day and provide narcotics detection in local schools as well as local businesses. They also perform numerous demonstrations throughout the year. When the K-9s are off duty, they live with their handlers.
WPD K-9 Hall of Fame
Although they are not currently serving with the department, past K-9s are fondly remembered by WPD’s officers. These are the animals who make up the history of the WPD K-9 Unit: