Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
Information on our police K-9 “Duke” & Handler Officer Broadfoot
Duke’s Bio:
Duke is a four and a half year old Belgium Malinois. He was born in Belgium. Duke’s police training began in Belgium at a young age and was continued here in the US. Duke lives at home with his handler, Officer Tony Broadfoot. When Officer Broadfoot is on duty, Duke is as well. Officer Broadfoot and Duke patrol the streets of South Lake Tahoe as a team.
Officer Broadfoot and Duke respond to all the same calls for service that other South Lake Tahoe Police Officers do. In addition, Officer Broadfoot and Duke respond to calls for service where Duke can assist in searches for suspects, evidence and narcotics. Duke is trained in handler protection and suspect apprehension. This training allows Duke to help protect officers and victims from an attack by a suspect.
Because of Duke’s speed, he is able to quickly catch those who are evading the police on foot. Because of his size, he can fit into small areas where someone might be hiding in from officers. Because of Duke’s keen since of smell, he can locate persons that are hiding from officers, people who are lost and people who have fled the scene of a crime. Duke is very athletic, and can easily clear a 6 foot fence with an effortless bound.
Duke can search large areas and buildings by himself, faster than ten police officers searching together. Duke can also track the scent left behind by a human long after the person is gone. Duke can lead officers down the same path that a person took, step by step through most terrains. He can search large areas both indoors and out for evidence. Duke is also certified as a narcotics detection dog. When Duke detects the presence of a narcotic he can pinpoint where it is concealed by giving Officer Broadfoot the appropriate alert.
Hundreds of training hours were invested into Duke even before he became qualified to become a police K-9. Police K-9s are held to the strictest of standards when they are selected and trained. A police trained K-9 must be well disciplined and have a well rounded demeanor before it is authorized to be utilized in police work. Once a dog has completed its training and certifications, it is considered to be a law enforcement officer. Duke has passion for working and loves nothing more.
Officer Broadfoot and Duke train together on a daily basis. This training is beneficial to both the proficiency and professionalism of the K-9 team. This daily training also provides for Duke's caring nature towards children and people other than Officer Broadfoot. Duke is trained to only be aggressive only upon command by Officer Broadfoot. Such a command is only given in situations where Duke is needed to protect the safety of other officers or citizens.
Tony’s bio:
Officer Broadfoot came to the South Lake Tahoe Police Department after graduating from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department police academy in 2002. Officer Broadfoot is assigned to the patrol division of the South Lake Tahoe Police Department. Officer Broadfoot attended numerous hours of training before being selected to be a K-9 handler. Officer Broadfoot is responsible for the care and maintenance of Duke 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This includes Duke’s grooming, feeding, training and exercise.
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