22-05-2025
Commerce City police to begin using K-9 patrol dogs again
COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (KDVR) — The Commerce City Police Department is set to once again begin using K-9 patrol dogs to help fight crime in June.
The arrival of these dogs will make a big difference in so many ways, according to the deputy chief.
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One of the new patrol dogs is named 'Holland'. The German Shepherd/Malanois mix is a year old.
FOX31 was able to see the dog being trained on Wednesday. In a few minutes, Holland was able to find bullets and a gun that had been hidden in the grass and bushes outside a sports stadium.
The department said Holland was named after Commerce City Police detective Curt Holland, who was killed in a crash while in the line of duty in 2020.
Commerce City Police Officer Gilbert Abdulla is Holland's handler and said the K-9 has an extraordinary sense of smell, which he said will make a big difference in fighting crime and catching suspects.
'It (the dog) protects the officers when we have to locate people or be put in a dangerous situation. It could be a deterrent to deter people from assaulting officers, deter people from escaping from officers,' Officer Abdulla said.
Holland is one of two K-9s recently acquired by CCPD.
The department said it had a K-9 program a decade ago, but it was disbanded as part of a consent decree.
There are now more than 70,000 people living in Commerce City.
The police department said the K-9s are needed to help deal with population growth and crime rates.
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The department's leadership said the dogs are needed for more than just fighting crime.
'Well, they can help locate critical missing individuals. So, think about an elderly person that walks away from a nursing home or a child that's missing. They can greatly aid in locating that individual in a much quicker period of time,' Deputy Chief Mike Smathers said.
The dogs will also be used as ambassadors for the police department and meet the community, so citizens can get to know both the dogs and officers a little better.
CCPD said it hopes to have as many as six K-9 units patrolling the streets within the next couple of years.
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