September 11, 2020 – Following a community naming contest and several months of offsite training and preparations, the Midland Police Department (MPD) is excited to introduce residents to its newest officer: K9 LEO.
The two-year old German Shepherd was selected by MPD with assistance from Mid-Michigan Police K9 and will be trained and to assist in search and recovery and article tracking. K9 LEO will also interact directly with the public and be actively engaged in MPD’s community policing efforts.
The new K9 was purchased for the department via generous donation of $77,848 from the Katherine A. Moore Revocable Trust.
“We chose the name LEO for our new K9 not only because it’s an acronym for Law Enforcement Officer, but also because it fits his strong presence and confident, personable demeanor perfectly,” said Chief of Police Nicole Ford. “We are anxiously awaiting K9 LEO’s arrival in Midland and look forward to his officially joining us very soon.”
K9 LEO is expected to begin training with his MPD handler beginning Monday, September 28.
The winner of the Name the K9 contest will be contacted by MPD at a later date to schedule a meet-and-greet session. As multiple residents submitted “LEO” during the contest, the first entry received will be selected as the winner.
For more information on the Midland Police Department and its K9 unit, please visit www.cityofmidlandmi.gov/police.