K-9 police dogs bring special skillset to MPD

The Maricopa Police Department has two dogs in its K-9 Police Unit, including 3-year-old Ike, the newest member of the team.

Officer Craig Curry has been working with Ike for a year after being matched with the dog after an extensive training process. Curry and Ike worked together behind the scenes before going on duty.

When a department knows it’s getting a K-9 dog, officers apply for the chance to be a handler. Police Chief Steve Stahl makes a decision on which officer, or officers, he feels are best suited to be a handler.

“The chief is usually looking for a really responsible person who is up to date with all of the laws concerning K-9s,” Curry says.

Once the decision is made, an officer will visit a kennel of potential partners and see if there is a connection.

“There are 20 to 30 dogs around in cages, and you just have to spot that instant connection or love-at-first-sight feeling,” Curry says. “Some dogs are barking at you like, “Get away from me,” but the first time I saw Ike, he was in his cage, just staring at me, waiting for what I was going to do next.”

Once a K-9 is chosen, the pair attends a three-to-four-month training academy before they begin active duty.

Training included a number of challenges for Curry, including a language barrier.

“He is Dutch, so I would speak to him in Dutch initially, but I have been teaching him English,” Curry says. “He also had to get used to working through the heat while wearing a vest, which can be challenging.”

Curry said it also takes a lot of patience and commitment to be a dog handler.

“He is almost like a child to me,” Curry says. “He is with me 24/7.”

Many times a partnership between a dog and his handler doesn’t work, as the family of the handler may be uncomfortable having an aggressive dog around.

“Sometimes a wife will freak out if a dog tears something up or attempts to attack someone, and demand the dog is out of their home,” Curry says.

Stahl says: “We usually give the handler a year to determine if they are OK with working with the K-9.”

Once a connection is made and a partnership is formed, a K-9 can be a very valuable resource to a department.

“In the barricade situation a couple months ago, the suspect was not cooperating until we threaten to stick the K-9s on him,” Curry says. “He was done at that point. The emotional distress involved with a dog bite is sometimes more frightful for some suspects than the threat of a bullet.”

When Curry says “K-9 Police Unit” to Ike, he instantly starts barking and gives his complete attention.

“We don’t know how these dogs do what they do, they can smell or sense the fear in someone and locate a suspect immediately,” Curry says. “We haven’t found a dog that can talk yet to explain it.”

Whether it’s locating a suspect, narcotics or other items, K-9s bring a set of skills normal police officers don’t possess.

“We just utilize the dog’s natural abilities,” Curry says. “Their type of service is something you can’t pay for or find anywhere else.”