MEEKER | The Meeker Police Department recently added a new member to their team, but unlike the rest of the team, this member walks on four feet. The department’s latest recruit is a new K9 unit named Dak.
Dak, a German shepherd, was born in Czechoslovakia and understands and knows how to speak in Czech. He turned two years old in May.
Chief Eddie Thompson discussed his involvement in selecting Dak. “Pretty much from the get-go,” he said. “It was an idea that we’ve had for a while, and I put it out for an officer interested in the position.” Officer Wylie Hetzel volunteered and stepped up to the plate to become Dak’s handler.
“Chief Thompson asked if there was anybody that wanted to do it, and I volunteered, and then we just went through the work of making it happen,” Officer Hetzel said.
Officer Hetzel also provided insight into choosing Dak. “They gave us a couple of options when we went up to the school. They said that Dak was going to fit the best for what we were wanting,” Hetzel stated. “So we just went off of their best judgment because they’re the ones that have been there. That’s their whole job, doing that.”
Dak will serve the town of Meeker in various ways. “He is trained to detect illegal narcotics, human scent tracking, article recovery, and criminal apprehension,” Officer Hetzel explained.
When asked if people are allowed to pet Dak when he’s in uniform, the response was, “No.” Chief Eddie Thompson elaborated, “He’s a working dog. So we don’t want people petting him. He is trained in apprehension, which means bite, so there’s not a whole lot of people that are allowed to touch him.” So if you see Dak on the streets of Meeker, don’t try to pet him.
When Dak is not in uniform, he is a regular house pet. “He’s just a big goofball for the most part. He doesn’t get as much freedom as a regular house pet, but he just hangs out at home,” Officer Hetzel said. “We will go to the park and run and play fetch and stuff like that.”
Regarding Dak’s favorite food, Hetzel noted, “He doesn’t get much outside food. He likes steak like all dogs, so sometimes I’ll give him some trimmings of that, but beyond that, he really is on a strict diet.”
Dak will serve the town of Meeker for the next five years based on his contract with the Meeker Police Department. “He can go up to seven to eight years for most of his job. The criminal apprehension stuff once he starts getting a little older is a little rougher, but the narcotics detection he can do until he can’t walk basically,” Hetzel added.
Overall, the Meeker Police Department is excited to have Dak join their team. Both Chief Eddie Thompson and Officer Wylie Hetzel expressed their gratitude: “We’re grateful for the City Council to fund him, and hope he does some good on the streets for us.” You can meet Dak and the rest of the Meeker Police Department on Tuesday, Aug. 6, from 5-8 p.m. for National Night Out at Meeker Town Park.
By JARED HENDERSON
