By Ryan Whisner
The newest member of the Fort Atkinson Police Department took his oath of office during the Fort Atkinson City Council meeting Tuesday.
City Clerk Michelle Ebbert conducted the swearing-in ceremony before the council. The new four-legged officer participated in the ceremony while investigating with interest the sounds and smells within his new surroundings.
Officer “Smitty,” paired with his handler Officer Adam Lawrence, is a 1-1/2-year-old Belgian Malinois. He is the city’s third K-9 officer.
Lawrence formally accepted the oath on Smitty’s behalf.
Fort Atkinson Police Chief Adrian Bump said the duo is in the middle of their second week of training in preparation to being deployed on the street. Their first shift on patrol will be in mid-August.
Like Bolt before him, Smitty came from Jessiffany Canine Services LLC., a kennel that specializes in police dogs, and the purchase package included Smitty, four weeks of training with
Lawrence, continued maintenance training, and dual certification rating through the kennel and American Police Canine Association.
Lawrence was chosen as the new K-9 handler through an internal submission and interview process.
As the handler, he will care for Smitty 24/7. While Smitty works for the department, he becomes Lawrence’s dog and companion on both sides of his life.
As with previous K-9 units, Smitty will be a dual-purpose patrol dog, meaning he has more than one expertise.
He is training to search for narcotics., specifically marijuana, heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine, the primary items the department is seeking to address in the community.
The other expertise or skill that Smitty has, is search and tracking. With those skills, he can be utilized to pick up a scent to help find someone that has walked away from a home, a lost child, or in the apprehension of a suspect.
Most commonly, K-9 officers conduct general area searches, due to their ability to pick up a scent even three to five hours after an incident occurs.
While all those traits are helpful from a policing aspect, Bump acknowledged that community engagement is likely Smitty’s greatest contributions to the force.
“We’re really excited about the opportunity to bring this back to our community, a resource that is really needed on our streets,” Bump said.
Fort Atkinson has been without a K-9 officer for nearly two years.
At its April 6 meeting, the city council approved moving forward with reserving the purchase of a dog and training from Jessiffany Canine Services LLC in Iron Ridge, Wis.
In addition, expenditures approved from the donated funds included the fitting of a squad car for the K-9 unit by 10-33 Vehicle Services of Sullivan.
The K-9 outfitted squad car is not specific to Lawrence and Smitty, however, it will always be utilized to transport the dog.
The cage for the dog takes up three-quarters of the backseat, living space for at least one prisoner transport.
Funds for the purchase of the dog and related equipment and training for the dog and handler are all obtained through donations and fundraising.
Since 2015, the Fort Atkinson Police Department’s K-9 program has never needed or expended any taxpayer dollars to remain active.
From the start, the program has been supported by the community.
The city’s first K-9 officer, “Dino,” was obtained in 2015 through a grant and community-supported fundraising.
Dino retired from service on Feb. 1, 2018, due to environmental limitations that had restricted his growth and development to a point where he could no longer perform his duties.
Purchased in February 2018, “Bolt” was the department’s second K-9 officer. Then nearly 2 years old, Bolt was a purebred Belgium Malinois that was imported from the Czech Republic.
In May 2021, Bolt showed signs of health issues and was taken to UW Veterinary Care in Madison where he underwent emergency surgery that removed a foreign object causing a complete intestinal blockage.
Retiring from active duty as a K-9 officer, Bolt has since been trained and certified to serve as a companion for a retired Marine Corps. veteran in Iowa.
After Bolt’s retirement, the K-9 program existed within the police department and the funding remained.
However, the chief told the council in April that one of the reasons there was a delay in moving forward was due to various personnel changes within the department. He noted multiple retirements and the hiring of new officers.
At the time of Bolt’s retirement, he said there wasn’t another officer ready to take on the additional role and responsibilities of managing a dog on top of regular duties.
Meanwhile, the K-9 program account at the Fort Atkinson Community Foundation remained in good standing due to ongoing donations.
Even without a dog in place, fundraising continues to help ensure the program can be maintained.
Most agencies are hopeful to get 5 to 7 years out of a K-9 officer if they remain healthy.
Earlier this year, a citizen came forward with a donation that helped the city move forward with bringing Smitty to the community.
Officer Adam Lawrence and newly sworn-in K-9 Officer “Smitty” of the Fort Atkinson Police Department.
Fort Atkinson City Clerk Michelle Ebbert administers the oath of office to the Fort Atkinson Police Department’s new K-9 officer. The oath is accepted on his behalf by his handler, Officer Adam Lawrence.
Fort Atkinson Police Chief Adrian Bump, at right, pins a badge on newly sworn in K-9 officer “Smitty.” He and his handler, Fort Atkinson Police Officer Adam Lawrence will begin patrolling in August.
Ryan Whisner photos.
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Wonderful article, Ryan. It will be great to see Smitty out with Officer Lawrence protecting the citizens of Fort Atkinson. As usual, you did a great job reporting. Wish I could have talked with you at the meeting.