Tempe Police Introduces new K-9

A new Tempe police K-9 is about to begin patrolling the city streets, after more than a month of intense training.

His name is Deuce, and he’s a 3-year-old German Shepherd, who police K-9 handlers selected in Seattle because of his strong body, good hunting skills and solid prey drive, said K-9 officer Jim Jeffries.

Deuce was purchased with a $10,000 donation from Wal-Mart. The business offered help Tempe Police Department following the line-of-duty death of K-9 Baloo on June 30.

Baloo died after falling 50 feet during a building search for a suspect. When Tempe police announced the tragic death, there was an outpouring of community support. Wal-Mart and a private citizen immediately offered to help pay for another dog.

“It meant a lot to us that not only did we get this outpouring of support from the community, but we got it from our business partners,” said Tempe police Asst. Chief Angel Carbajal.

Although Tempe police officers will always miss Baloo, Deuce is a special dog who stood out from the pack early on. He does exactly what police K-9 dogs are supposed to do -- get excited to work and respond well to commands.

Deuce was trained from the time he was a puppy and has since learned even more from Tempe police K-9 handlers. And even though he’s going to be on patrol, Deuce will still need at least four hours of practice training each week, said Tempe police K-9 Sgt. Chuck Bridges, who is the new dog’s handler.

Once he’s ready, Deuce will even receive special lessons in becoming a narcotics dog, a position that would require him to recognize several different drug smells, Bridges said.

The Tempe police K-9 unit has been in operation since 1979 and has six dogs and six handlers. Two police K-9 dogs also work in the department’s narcotics unit.