A New Member of the Force

A New Member of the Force

MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - Meet Yukon. Yukon is the newest member of the Meridian Township Police Department.

Andy Tobias: Meridian Township Police Officer: "He's brand new. He completed his first shift..."

The officers are happy to have him on board. Dogs make it easier for the officers to manage their long days.

Erin Linn, Meridian Township Police Officer: "We have twelve hour shifts right now on a platoon system, so there is essentially four people that cover the road 24-7, 365 in Meridian Township."

The department acquired a second dog because of the success of their first one, Uby. Uby and Yukon use their noses to help the officers find drugs.

Linn: "The nose of a dog is so much stronger and more sensitive than that of a human. They can smell odor of narcotics and human odor better than we can."

The dogs were brought to the department from Hungary. All of their commands are given in Hungarian. While Uby is a veteran, Yukon still needs some training.

The officers told me tracking narcotics is like a game for the dogs. When they succeed, they get rewarded with a tennis ball, so working is often the best part of their day.

The dogs are not limited to just finding drugs, they can also track lost children or dementia patients and protect their handlers.

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