The New Bern Police Department is proud to introduce its newest employee: a 2-year-old Belgian Malinois named Chase. K9 Chase joins Officer Collins as one of five K9 teams within the department.
K9 Chase and Officer Collins began training together in October. By mid-November, the pair had completed training and certification by the International Police Work Dog Association (IPWDA). The two have already started working together in New Bern and participating in monthly training with the entire K9 team. Officer Collins is looking forward to introducing Chase to the community.
“Our team evaluated several dogs to potentially serve our community,” said Chief Patrick Gallagher. “Chase has the drive and energy we’re looking for and we thought he’d be a great partner to Officer Collins.” K9 Chase is trained in narcotics detection, tracking, criminal apprehension, article recovery, and building and area searches.
Earlier this year, K9 Reno retired from the New Bern Police Department after 7 years of service. Then, K9 Loki passed away suddenly due to a health-related issue, leaving the department two teams short within the K9 Unit. Thanks to a grant from the Firehouse Subs Safety Foundation, the department purchased K9 Storm in July. With the addition of K9 Chase, this specialized unit is back to normal staffing levels and ready to continue serving New Bern.
K9 Chase’s first day of work was Nov. 19, 2022.
The New Bern Police Department is committed to partnering with the community to create a safe place to live, work and visit. Citizens are encouraged to become a “Partner in Policing,” by reporting suspected illegal activity to the New Bern Police Department’s TIPS line at (252) 636-5034 or the Craven County Crime Stoppers line at 252-633-5141. If you “See Something, Say Something.” For additional information, please contact Lieutenant McInnis with the New Bern Police Department at 252-672-4274.
Captain David Daniels, Operations Division Commander