Officer Bouchard and K-9 Rex
In January 2011 the Oakland Police Department took possession of K9 Rex to utilize in every day patrol duties, as well as narcotics detection and suspect tracking/apprehension. K9 Rex was adopted (free of charge to the Town of Oakland) from the United States Air Force (Lackland, A.F.B.) in San Antonio, Texas. K9 Rex is a five (5) year old male German Shepherd who originates from Europe.
In March of 2011 Sgt. Bouchard and partner K-9 Rex began an extensive 8 week training program with the Desoto County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit. The training they received covers Narcotics Detection, Suspect Tracking, Area Searches, Building Searches, Vehicle Searches, and Suspect Apprehension.
Even though K9 Rex is capable of tracking suspects, he is not allowed to track for missing children or other missing/lost persons due to his type of training. Remember, K9 Rex has been trained to track and apprehend suspects who have broken the law.
Sgt. Bouchard and K9 Rex excelled in all areas of the training and certified in May of 2011 with the NNDDA (National Narcotics Detector Dog Association). The combination of the Narcotics and Patrol training categorize K9 Rex as a “Dual Purpose” K9.
Not only will this K-9 team be utilized in the areas they received the above described training for, they will also still be responsible for patrolling the Town of Oakland’s businesses and residential areas. Sgt. Bouchard will also handle regular calls and handle other concerns for the citizens of Oakland.
