I had the opportunity to ride along with Officer Darrell Jones of the K-9 Unit and his dog Daro for the third shift on Saturday, June 20, 2009. I made sure to get plenty of rest during the day on Saturday to prepare for the shift, which went from 10:00 P.M. until 5:00 A.M. Early in the evening, I discovered several differences between the K-9 Unit and the Patrol Unit I had rode with previously. First, Officer Jones has been with the department for over a decade, and has served with several different units, including Patrol and Traffic. Also, rather than being restricted to a particular beat, the K-9 Unit has the freedom to respond throughout Lexington-Fayette County, and additionally serves other jurisdictions outside the county. This led to a much broader range of experiences than my first ride along. Finally, the K-9 shifts are shorter than a patrol shift, only seven hours rather than ten, to afford officers time to care for the dogs.

The first task to complete before we went out on patrol was to feed the dogs. It was amazing how quickly the dogs stopped barking at the stranger in their kennel once food was put in front of them. Next, Officer Jones moved his dog, Daro, into his patrol car. The car itself contains a kennel for the dog in place of the back seat, and provides enough room for the dog to move around comfortably. Daro is a Belgian Maliherd, which is a cross between a Belgian Malinois and a German Shepherd dog. Also, Daro is a dual purpose dog, which means that he can both search for missing suspects and perform searches for the presence of narcotics. Due to Daro's temperament while at work, Officer Jones warned me that I should remain 8 feet away from him when using the dog in order to avoid being bitten. Once Daro was safely in the back of the car, Officer Jones, Daro, and I left the police kennel and went on duty.

Although we did not have an opportunity to use Daro in any police work during the night, the experience was still very educational and interesting. Of particular note were the numerous calls involving drinking and/or alcohol in which we were involved. These ranged from a suspected Driving under the Influence, and an arrest for Public Intoxication, to some investigation concerning full cans of beer being thrown at homeless people off of one of Lexington's larger apartment complexes. This last incident involved our going high above the city in order to try to find the perpetrators. Our travels throughout the night took us to many of the corners of Lexington. We spent time outside of New Circle on the North, South, and East sides of the city, and went as far as the bank of the Kentucky River. Most of the responses we took involved providing back up to officers already on a scene, especially ones which might require the use of the dog.

I was very impressed with the relationship between Officer Jones and Daro, and the control Officer Jones had over him. The use of a command, all of which were in German, would have Daro immediately speak or quiet down, sit up or lie down. Given the situations Daro is involved in, and the constant unfamiliar environment to which he is subject, such a relationship is necessary. Officer Jones explained that Daro is his partner, and that the job which they do requires a high level of trust, as the K-9 Unit is constantly subject to the most dangerous tasks in law enforcement. As I was pulling away in my car early in the morning, Officer Jones rushed by into the yard with Daro on a short leash. Daro jumped up on Officer Jones in excitement, showering him with kisses of excitement. Their bond is so strong that even this often vicious police dog acted like a lap dog happy to see his master. I left with the impression that their relationship extended far beyond work, and was happy to remember at the end of Daro's career, he can look forward to retiring to life with Officer Jones and his family.