In 1994 the K-9 Program was reestablished under the command of patrol officer Gerad Hunt. Officer Hunt had a desire to develop and re-establish the K-9 Program, and worked diligently and trained his newly purchased four legged partner, named Nero. Eventually three more K-9 Units were trained and added to the Program.

 

Gerad Hunt became a sergeant in 2001 and Nero retired, but Sgt. Hunt continued to oversee the K-9 Program. These teams assist the Patrol Section with searching buildings, searching for lost or missing persons, evidence recovery, narcotic searches, and crowd control. In addition, K-9 teams are utilized as backup officers for officer safety.

 

 

You have likely seen the officers and their partners at high school sporting events and large gatherings within the city.

The K-9 teams are available to present public demonstrations for citizens of Bartow. The Community Services Team handles the scheduling of the demonstrations upon request. 

 

 

To schedule a K-9 Demo, call the Community Services Coordinator at 863-534-5034.