The Southlake Police Department is dedicated to constantly improving the team to serve the people of the city with the highest level of skills. That takes world class training for every single officer – including Zeusz, the department’s K9.
With the introduction of a new state-of-the-art K9 agility training facility unlike any other in the area, the Southlake Police Department is better equipped to not only ensure that two-year old Zeusz is in the best physical shape possible, but that he is introduced to real-world scenarios he and his handler must be prepared to navigate while keeping the city safe.
“The course is designed to assist canines with overcoming physical obstacles that they may face while on duty, such as jumping a fence, going upstairs, jumping through residential or vehicular windows, and crawling in dark and tight spaces,” K9 Officer Nathaniel Anderson said. “These are all necessary skill sets that may be needed to save the life of an officer or citizen when it relates to apprehending a suspect.”
The Southlake Police Department, consistently recognized for its highest level of accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), established its K9 Unit around 2011. This addition was made to elevate safety, protection, and operational effectiveness in serving the citizens of Southlake, demonstrating the department’s commitment to innovation and enhancing officer capabilities.
“When it comes to locating suspects and detecting narcotics, K9s are incredibly more skilled than we are as humans,” Officer Anderson explained. “If the city did not have a K-9 Unit we would possibly have to take unnecessary risk when there is simply a better tool to assist us in accomplishing a goal.”
Under the supervision of Officer Anderson, a Master Peace Officer and certifying official for the National Narcotic Detector Dog Association, the K9 Unit has developed into an integral branch of Southlake’s Police Department. Since its implementation, the K9 Unit has initiated over 1,000 school searches, participated in several SWAT deployments, and apprehended approximately 15 felony suspects.
The integration of the K9 Agility Training Course is simply the newest way Anderson and the Southlake Police Department aim to fine-tune the capabilities of the K9 Unit in order to continue world-class service.
“The city provided the K9 unit with this agility course, per my request,” Officer Anderson said. “Now it’s up to me to invest the time and energy into ensuring that Zeusz and I are prepared for the challenges that we may face on the streets.”
