KIRBY, Texas -- Kirby Police officers are not playing around when it comes to drugs in their community. The department is beefing up their narcotics unit with a specially trained officer. K9 Jake is the first officer of his kind to join the force.
In the past the Kirby Police Department had to call on other law enforcement agencies for help when they needed a K9 at a case. With a change in drug activity in the area, they decided to start their own program.
Officer Brandon Murphy is Jake’s handler.
The two have been friends for about six weeks and are fast becoming family. They’ll be together 24/7, on and off the clock. They’ll have each other’s backs while on patrol and will share a roof when it’s time to go home.
“He’s got a very mindful demeanor about him,” said Officer Murphy. “He’s very intelligent and that’s one thing I really like in him.”
The duo will hit the streets of Kirby after a few more weeks of training.
A San Antonio company conducting the handler classes helped pair up Jake with Officer Murphy.
“I’m quite excited to see somebody who serves the community that I actually live in and go out there and work as a K9 team,” said Ramiro Guzman with Full Armor K9.
The handler instructor says he usually works with law enforcement from out of state. Having a neighbor take the training course was exciting.
Jake is being trained on how to help with arrests and sniff out meth, cocaine, heroin and marijuana.
KPD is clear: they are not putting up with drugs in their city.
“The drug activity leads to a lot of other criminal activity,” said Officer Murphy. “[Jake is] going to give us the opportunity to help find narcotics that may otherwise not be so … easy for us to find.”
Jake also has a softer side. Eventually he hopes to interact with the community by using that lovable face to break the ice between timid citizens and officers.
“We plan on … keeping the community aware of what Jake and Murphy are doing as it happens,” said Kirby Police Chief Kevin Bois. “We’re just real excited about the program. That dog is a little firecracker.”
The K9 program was made possible with a thumbs-up from city leaders. About $30,000 dollars in the police department’s budget covers the cost of Jake, his training supplies and expenses.