Anacortes police to replace retired narcotics K-9 with dual-purpose dog 'Zeke'
Loading...
Summary
City police announced Jan. 21 that longtime narcotics detection dog "T Bone" has retired and a new German shepherd, to be called Zeke, will train as a dual‑purpose K‑9 for both narcotics detection and locating/tracking people. Training will begin in February; the city expects the new team to be certified after completion.
The Anacortes Police Department announced on Jan. 21 that its longtime narcotics K‑9, known as T Bone, has retired and a new dog — named Zeke — has arrived to begin dual‑purpose training for narcotics detection and locating/tracking people.
Sergeant Terrence Clifford, the department’s K‑9 coordinator, told the City Council the previous single‑purpose dog had been deployed more than 1,200 times and that the department will retain narcotics detection capability while adding tracking and building‑search skills. Clifford said the new handler will complete training and state certification before the team is declared operational.
Clifford described the operational rationale the council heard: a dual‑purpose dog can assist with locating fleeing or missing people, backtracking to find evidence, and searching buildings while reducing risks to officers. He also noted that presence of a K‑9 can be a de‑escalation tool that sometimes avoids use of other force options.
Officer Hatcher, the new handler, introduced the dog to council members and said, “I have decided to name him Zeke.” Hatcher and the dog were reported to be in town and will begin the scheduled training in early February.
The department said T Bone’s decade of service included joint deployments with neighboring agencies and public demonstrations; Clifford told the council the previous dog’s work included assistance to other agencies and the regional drug task force. The new training plan allocates roughly 400 handler hours for tracking/locating work and another 200 hours for narcotics certification. Police leadership said most of that training can occur during regular shifts and should not require significant overtime.
Chief Floyd noted the department had arranged vendor selection with temperament and community interaction in mind; council members asked about community outreach and whether the department will continue demonstrations and school visits. Officers said public events and demonstrations will continue once the new team reaches operational certification.
Council members and the chief also discussed interim coverage while the new team trains. The department said neighboring agencies with K‑9 teams can cover requests if needed during the training period.
Ending: The department will return to council with a follow‑up once the handler and dog complete training and pass state certification; the department also said it will arrange a public meet‑and‑greet once Zeke has completed initial training and is accustomed to the working routine.
