Department anticipates benefits from K-9 unit

Two dogs will undergo extensive training in January to officially form the Windsor K-9 Unit.

The Windsor K-9 Unit will consist of two dogs, two handlers and a supervisor, according to a department news release.

Officer Marshal Allen, who has been with the department for six years, will work with his K-9 partner Xaros, a 16-month-old male Belgian Malinois. Officer Clara Steingart, a Windsor police officer since 2018, will work with her K-9 partner Zuma, an 18-month-old male German shepherd.

“It’s a huge benefit for the department,” Special Assignment Sergeant Michael Cygan said. “It really just means that we’re taking a step forward in growing our department.”

The dual-purpose dogs will receive training in detecting drugs and apprehending criminals to aid in investigations. Cygan said their role is instrumental in helping police establish probable cause to search a vehicle for drugs, as well as helping track a suspect who flees the scene.

The criminal apprehension element of training allows officers to use the canines as another less lethal approach when responding to crimes, which is critical when officers are faced with armed suspects and don’t want to rely on the use of a firearm.

“A dog is the only tool that we can recall once we’ve sent it,” Cygan said. “So if we utilize a taser on somebody, once we pull the taser trigger, it’s going in and we can’t call that back. The dogs, we can send them and we can stop them in their tracks before they get to the suspect.”

In addition to improving investigations, a K-9 unit will increase opportunities to work with other law enforcement agencies across northern Colorado. But most importantly, the canines will help form police and community relations — a step the department has already begun taking with the animals.

Cygan said recently a classroom at a local school was rewarded for raising toys for charity with a chance to meet one of the dogs.

Extensive training

Both officers are also spending the upcoming weeks bonding with Xaros and Zuma before training begins in January.

Cygan said the dogs are completely green, which means they have no training experience whatsoever. The dogs and their handlers will attend a 16-week academy, put on by the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office.

“Their training is quite extensive,” Cygan said. “A huge part of their life is going to be training.”

During the academy, the unit will learn everything from basic obedience training to tracking and trailing apprehension, narcotics detection and building searches, according to Cygan.

After completing the training, the dogs have to pass a certification test to work on the streets. After passing the test, the canines will continue to partake in 20 hours of training a month to maintain certification in addition to the monthly in-service training conducted by the Windsor Police Department.

“We’re excited to have these dogs and get them through training and get them out on the street,” Cygan said. “We think it’s going to be a huge benefit, not just for our department, but for the Windsor community as a whole”