K9 PARTNERS SUPER-POWERED FORCE MULTIPLIERS By Nancy Zoellner
Sheriff Matt Oller and K9 Andi, Sheriff Jeff Henke and K9 Zloty, Sgt. Derek Chism and K9 Jax, Deputy Caleb Cromer and K9 Odin, Deputy Travis Weaver and K9 Ares, and Sgt. Alan Lebel And K9 Tajfun
Ask any handler. They are often dispatched to the most dangerous calls, they must put in extra time caring for a partner that cannot care for him or herself, and they are required to spend more time in training than the average law enforcement officer. But it’s worth it because they know K9s can make a huge difference in keeping the peace and fighting crime. Five seasoned handlers and one new handler, all from Missouri sheriff’s offices, recently committed to taking on that responsibility. They were the latest class to graduate from the Boone County Sheriff’s Office K9 Training Center. The team members were Deputy Travis Weaver and K9 Ares from Howell County, Deputy Caleb Cromer and K9 Odin from Boone County, Sheriff Matt Oller and K9 Andi with Sgt. Derek Chism and K9 Jax from Audrain County, Sheriff Jeff Henke and K9 Zloty from Linn County, and Sgt Alan LeBel and K9 Tajfun (pronounced typhoon) from Callaway County.
Chris Smith, director of K9 Training and Development, has overseen the academy since its formation in 2015. He is an accredited master trainer with the North American Police Work Dog Association (NAPWDA) and a trainer with the Missouri Police Canine Association (MPCA). He also serves as the NAPWDA Missouri state coordinator and the vice president of MPCA. He has been a K9 handler since 2002 and is currently working his third dog, K9 Ike, a 6-year-old German Shepherd. While Director Smith has years of teaching under his belt, he said it’s only the second time he’s taught a class with six teams and the first time he’s had that many teams from county departments in the same class.
“They all got their dogs through the Canine Replacement Grant offered by the state. The grant paid for the dogs and the training,
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