Waxhaw News - The Official Community Publication - Waxhaw, NC Nov_Dec_2017

NOV/DEC
Volume 28 ● Number 6
Waxhaw PD Gets New [ 4-Legged ] Recruits
By: Jess Bailey
The Waxhaw Police Department recently wel-
comed 2 new dogs to the K9 unit. Maintaining
our ranking as one of the safest cities in North
Carolina means continually training and expand-
ing our police force as the community grows. The
Waxhaw Police Department believes that with the
implementation of the K9 unit, we will see a safer
community to live and work in.
local schools and educating the public, as well as
performing demonstrations and assisting in drug
prevention eff orts.
Chief of Police for Waxhaw PD Michael Eiss
states, “I’m excited we got the program, and that
we were able to receive the funding.”
The Waxhaw PD will employ three canines – one
Labrador Retriever and two Belgian Malinois,
all of which have been specially bred for the jobs
Having held an extensive
funding campaign over the
last year, a Stonebridge Golf
Tournament, and community
donations, the K9 unit will
offi cially kickoff in Decem-
ber. The money raised will
go towards the purchase of
the canines, training for the
canine and handler, relevant
equipment, kennels for their
assigned vehicles, housing
and two specialized patrol
cars.
they’ll be asked to perform. The latter two have
been purchased through established and repu-
table vendors, and brought over from Slovokia.
They are approximately a year and a half old, and
arrived as “green dogs”, which is a reference to the
fact that they haven’t yet been trained. However,
this breed, in particular, has a proven record of
intelligence, bravery and athleticism. In addition,
they are steadfastly loyal with a keen sense of
smell and alertness, making them ideal partners
in crime prevention and crime
solving.
The Department sought vol-
unteers from their own staff
to apply to become handlers,
and aft er the interview pro-
cess, Offi cers Billy Mills and
Matt Watkins were selected.
They have been working to
get this project off the ground
since its inception, over a year
ago. The handlers, along with
the canines, will undergo a
rigorous six-week training
program, designed to build
a trusting and revered part-
nership. This partnership
will serve as the cornerstone
to a successful K9 program,
whereby, their shared expe-
rience will bolster the confi -
dence of all involved.
Modeled off of similar K9
programs, nationwide, the
program in Waxhaw will work
towards more effi ciently man-
aging in the areas of patrol
work, narcotics, tracking lost
persons, article and building
searches, and general pro-
tection. Among a long list,
they’ll be tasked with visiting
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