K-9 Unit
Waunakee Police Department
First, Alex the K-9 helps combat illegal drugs. Over the course of the last fifteen years, surveys of community residents have shown that illegal drugs are a main concern. Illegal drugs have a direct effect on the quality of life for every community. Drugs have a profound effect on lives and families, as well as a direct correlation to the cause of many crimes. The police department has been very proactive in the last seven years working drug cases, serving multiple search warrants, and making a number of felony drug arrests. However, the police department's efforts have cut somewhat short in other situations where a dog could have benefited us. This includes the multiple times every year that officers make traffic stops on vehicles in this community and suspect the occupants may possess illegal substances. This can be shown in the fact that the department has over 19,000 contacts annually with individuals and our Main Street sees in excess of 10,000 cars daily. The dog allows for officers to be more proactive in this regard, as a drug dog is readily available within the community the majority of the time, either on duty or subject to call in.
Additionally, the department can be more proactive when receiving information regarding illegal drugs in the community. The K-9 is capable of detecting illegal substances such as marijuana, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine.
Second, the dog is trained in tracking. Alex is capable of tracking suspects who flee from crime scenes or traffic stops. The capabilities will also be a major benefit in the event a person goes missing from an assisted living center. There are several such centers in Waunakee, and every year the police department receives calls to look for persons missing from these facilities. These are persons who are generally unable to care for themselves and have walked away from their care facility without the facility's knowledge.
Third, Alex is utilized in our efforts to educate young people on the dangers of drugs. The dog and handler present educational programs to school aged children. Because the dog is a black lab and not a typical law enforcement "bite dog" such as a German Shepard, he is more easily approachable for children and adults alike. In an educational setting, a dog is more likely to catch and hold a child's attention than without a dog.
In spring 2008, Alex hit the streets of Waunakee. Alex is purebred black lab. His birthday is March 7, 2007 and his handler is Officer Adam Kreitzman. Officer Kreitzman and Alex reside in Waunakee.
