Sioux Falls Police Just Got a New Four-Legged Cop This Week
Sioux Falls added a new officer to its police force this week, but he's not like the majority of the other police officers patrolling the city helping to keep it safe. The newest addition to the PD has four legs and a lot more hair than your average cop.
His name is "Leo" and he's a 14-week-old golden retriever that will soon be serving as a therapy dog for the Sioux Falls Police Department.
Sioux Falls Police Chief Jon Thum told Dakota News Now, “Law enforcement is a demanding profession, and we’re always looking for new ways to provide support to our officers, the people, and the victims that we work with.”
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That's where Leo comes in, his position on the force will be to help people feel more at ease when interacting with police and provide comfort during difficult times.
Leo's main role with the PD will be to help with the well-being of officers but he will also take part in community activities like school events, block parties, and court.
Thum told Dakota News Now, “A lot of the time, kids want to talk about our dogs or see our dogs, but our working dogs aren’t the best mix for that. A golden retriever like Leo has a nice temperament and will be trained and certified to be a therapy dog. He’ll be able to handle those situations.”
According to Dakota News Now, Leo has been training for his new position for about 6 weeks now with the owner of Tenacious Dog Training, Maggie Pearson.
Pearson has been helping to prepare Leo for all the different types of situations he will encounter while on the job.
How Leo got his name is kinda cool as well, the PD decided to name their latest member Leo because that name means brave and lion-hearted, and it's also the acronym for law enforcement officers.
Source: Dakota News Now