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Welcome new police dog to major crimes at the MPD
The Madison Police Department recently received an anonymous donation to bring on a new police dog specifically to aid crimes against children and other major crimes.
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Bear’s mission
An anonymous donor from a nonprofit called Operation Underground Railroad (OUR) Rescue provided the means necessary for Bear’s training, equipment and utilization.
OUR Rescue is involved with supporting law enforcement agencies with crimes involving child exploitation and the fight against human trafficking. He will join task force Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) with the MPD on the scene.
Bear is both a police and therapy dog. As part of his duty, he will aid officers in:
- Sniffing out hidden electronics such as thumb drives, laptops, hard drives, tracking devices, micro SD and SIM cards.
- Applying trauma informed practices to victims on crime scenes.
Most police dogs are not trained to be approachable on scenes. What makes Bear different is his approachability, which makes him an ideal member to the team for both law enforcement and comfort to victims.
“Many criminals think they can beat the system with a good hiding spot for evidence. We want them to know that Bear is a formidable weapon against their crimes. Our community is safer with [Bear’s] service.”
Johnny Gandy, Police Chief
When police dogs are off duty
When not in action, Bear and his handler, detective Ted Thiele will be visiting the community for education on Bear’s purpose as a police dog.
Join the MPD in welcoming Bear to the department and to serving the city!
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