Cape Police Department introduces new K-9, Freedom

The Cape Girardeau Police Department has added a new member to the force.

On Thursday, the department announced the addition of a new K-9, Freedom, a 20-month-old, 80-pound German shepherd. The addition of Freedom brings the number of K-9s at the department back up to four after a previous K-9, Dallas, was euthanized July 24 because of an acute non-compressive nucleus pulposus extrusion, which caused spinal failure and paralysis, and left him in a constant state of discomfort and pain.

“The addition of Freedom did not add another K-9 to our roster,” Sgt. Joey Hann said, “Freedom was acquired to fill the absence created by the death of our previous K-9 Dallas. Cape police currently has four total K-9s. Our patrol currently has four separate patrol shifts, so this provides each shift with a K-9 and handler, and offers 24-hour coverage for the city.”

Freedom’s purchase was made possible after the department received a private donation.

“The donor suggested the name Freedom,” Hann said. “This name seemed like a great fit for this specific K-9, and our department honored this request.”

According to Hann, each K-9 goes through a “very strenuous and involved” eight-week training program before being released for duty. During the training program, the department’s handlers put the K-9s through “every possible contingency that they may encounter on a call,” and monitor the dog’s reaction and response to make sure it is correct.

“Our canines are cross-trained for detection and tracking, and our training program makes sure that our K-9s are ready for these huge public safety roles,” Hann said. “Once the K-9 graduates from their initial training program, they still undergo weekly training sessions to sharpen their skills and reinforce the behaviors required for their tasks.”

Freedom’s handler will be patrolman Eric Steiner, who was previously Dallas’ handler. Hann described Steiner as a “proactive, energetic officer who assists with high-risk calls and engages with the public in community events.”

“Our trainers knew that they would require a K-9 with a high-level of energy, a K-9 who would be capable of being deployed during dangerous calls and a K-9 that could interact with the community,” Hann said. “We feel like Freedom is a great match for officer Steiner.”

The addition of Freedom, as with any properly-trained K-9, Hann said, will provide the Cape Girardeau Police Department with an “invaluable tool and resource for modern law enforcement.”

“The community often thinks of K-9s as an enforcement tool only, and they tend to think that all we use them for is to detect narcotics,” Hann said. “But K-9s, when trained properly in our program, are also very effective at tracking dangerous suspects. Our K-9s have tracked and located a high-volume of violent suspects who may have escaped back into the community after committing their crime had we not had them deployed on scene.”