By Delaney Osbourn
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Almost all public Universities across the country, have police departments who protect their campus and keep it as safe as possible for students and faculty.
But, the University of Arkansas Police Department has some extra help. The K9 division consists of five officers who are all specialized in different areas. Leah, Oakley, Rickie, Charlie, and Faye are all a part of UAPD and are utilized when it comes to solving crimes. All of the dogs are handled by UAPD officers, which means they have homes with them as well.
Rickie is a patrol certified Malinois who specializes in narcotic detection. He is Corporal Ryan Barber’s dog. Corporal Barber explained that his life has changed drastically since having Rickie. “It’s like having a partner there no matter what, I’m never alone,” Barber said. “Its an awesome feeling having that little guy breath on my shoulder the entire shift.” The officers are trained for sixteen hours per month due to state mandates. The officers are trained from the time they come into the force, from the time they leave the force. From an early age, they are trained to specialize in a certain area.
Barber says without the dogs, many situations would be a lot harder for the officers to solve without the K9 unit. “When we are out on patrol and we are looking for something like an explosive or a narcotic and we don’t smell anything, those guys will just be like ‘oh, hey dad, its right here,’” Barber said. Without the K9 unit, our campus wouldn’t be as easy to maintain and keep safe.