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DPD welcomes new K9 officer

Michael Clements , , , , , , , , ,
Demopolis Police Department Officer Josh Ochiltree and his new partner, Hondo.

The Demopolis Police Department welcomed K9 Officer Hondo into its ranks on Saturday, Feb. 9. Officer Hondo, a Belgian Malinois, recently completed several months of training at Alabama Canine, largely in part to donations from around the community.

Hondo is partnered with Officer Josh Ochiltree, who has been working with the department’s K9 officers for approximately three years. Ochiltree’s former partner, Bo, retired approximately one year ago. In addition to Hondo’s training, Ochiltree participated in a four week certification course.

Unlike traditional human partners, the K9 officer stays with the handler at all times. “Having the dog all the time allows you to build a better bond,” said Ochiltree, when asked about human partners versus canine partners. “I enjoy the aspect that he’s always with me. I would say that it is one of the more enjoyable things that you can do within law enforcement.” Ochiltree said that all of the work with a canine partner makes the work a little more fun.

Ochiltree said that different dogs are used for different aspects of law enforcement. Some dogs are strictly used for detecting drugs, and some are used for tracking and apprehending suspects. Others are used for search and recovery. Some dogs perform multiple tasks, while others are specialists in one area. Hondo’s training and specialty allow him to interact with the public in controlled situations, such as going into schools for public relations work.

According to interim DPD Chief Rex Flowers, Hondo will be used specifically as a drug detection officer. “He will be able to search vehicles for drugs at traffic stops. He can aid in establishing probable cause in certain situations,” Flowers said.

Flowers expressed his gratitude to the following businesses for their donations toward K9 Officer Hondo’s training: Arbours of Demopolis, LLC, Foster Farms, Two Rivers Lumber Company, Dr. Dreading’s Clinic, Shirts and More, Gibbs and Sellers, William Coplin, Jr., Marengo Drug Screening Center and Robertson Banking Company.